Page 47 of Oaths & Vengeance
I could hardly see through the smoke and damage as I pursued more of Lord Morgunn’s troops. Too many people were running in every direction, forcing me to be cautious about who I targeted. It meant getting up close to verify identities before striking.
An elf in a forest green and brown uniform across the street struck a woman so hard that she crashed to the ground. When he bent over her with the clear intent to mount her, I didn’t waste a moment gripping his head with my magic and crushing his skull, then flinging his body into a nearby Therressian centaur galloping my way. The half-horse, half-man crashed to the ground, tangled with the dead soldier. Riding over, I thrust my sword into his throat, finishing him as well.
I searched for more targets as I guided my horse between mutilated bodies and fire, nostrils burning from the acrid stench in the air. The flames made the heat in the village nearly unbearable. I was grateful I’d brought a gnome who already worked to extinguish the blazing inferno.
Through the murky haze, I caught movement just beyond the village. Though I couldn’t discern distinct features, I knew my men wouldn’t be fleeing, so it had to be Therressians. I gestured at a handful of my troops,beckoning them to pursue the enemy with me. Lord Morgunn’s forces appeared to be coalescing as they made a hasty retreat. They would not leave until I had taken down as many as possible.
I worked my way toward them, coughing from the smoke. My mount and I struggled to maneuver swiftly through the fires, bodies, and debris. There was so much destruction and death. I protected what was mine, and fury coursed through me at the sight of so many slaughtered innocents. They would pay for this.
Once I finally began closing the gap, I noted several men on horseback carrying familiar small crates. They had taken our latest batch of blue burst gemstones. The numerous fires and slaughter of innocents had been a diversion from their true intent. I wished I had a spy within Lord Morgunn’s inner circle so I could anticipate attacks like this, but that was impossible. Aella’s uncle didn’t even inform most of his officers of the plans until the same day they would occur. He was annoyingly cautious.
The value of the goods the Therressian lord plotted to steal could not be overestimated, and the last thing I wanted was for them to obtain the powerful gems. I pushed my stallion harder to reach them, encouraging him to leap over bodies and fallen debris. They were well ahead of me on the road to the portal. When my soldiers and I finally cleared the village and reached open ground, the enemy had a substantial lead.
We gave chase, but most of the fleeing forces were beyond my range to target in the murky darkness. I consoled myself with picking off Therressian stragglers, one of whom happened to have one of my crates. After he flew from his mount into a tree, I ordered two of my people to grab the gems where they fell to the ground and take them somewhere safe. They did as ordered, dashing through the woods to the west in the one direction the enemy hadn’t infiltrated.
Hot embers rained down from above, singeing me and my stallion. The enchantments on me and my horse prevented severe damage, but the cinders still hurt and distracted us. My mount stumbled at the first volley, though he recovered quickly.
I twisted around in the saddle and noted more of the enemy coming behind us. Several launched magic spells our way. The most dangerous wasan elf throwing blazing starbursts at us, sending one of my men screaming from his horse. Those could slice through a body with brutal efficiency. They were thin metal with seven sharp points crafted in large quantities at forges and then distributed to specialized troops. Those soldiers used their powers to transform the deadly weapons into blazing hot projectiles. It was one of the most common magics that a lesser fae soldier might master for use in battle.
I hated to let the remaining gemstones out of my sight, but we had to deal with the enemy at our backs or risk many more of us dying. I forced myself to turn around and ordered my squad to do the same.
We faced the incoming soldiers. The ones in the lead wielded battle magic, with one of them hitting us with a spell that stunned our bodies with intense pain. Another had flames building in her hands that she planned to launch our way next.
I pushed through the agony consuming my body—for once grateful for my torturous training on Karganoth—and grabbed hold of the front row, cracking all their necks in one fell swoop. They tumbled from their horses, and the pain faded from my squad and me. The troops beyond that first line barely managed to veer around their dead comrades before colliding with them.
My side sent the next volley of magic at our foes. We hit them with ice daggers that speared into their chests and lava balls that scorched into their bodies. One of the Therressian soldiers put up a shield, but it only protected him and the elves on either side of him. Half a dozen others fell. I spotted numerous enemies racing through the woods to the east, attempting to avoid confrontation. My squad and I couldn’t handle that many at once, but they didn’t have much time left to flee.
Aella couldn’t have had much longer than an hour and a half since she transported her army here. She wouldn’t have recharged enough to keep the portal open long, so I only needed to delay as many of her people as possible. Pulling on my magic, I began felling trees on either side of me to slow the Therressian soldiers while my team continued to hit the ones on the main road. After about ten minutes, we didn’t see any more, andthe rest of my army was catching up with us. They’d only do that if they’d cleared the village of Lord Morgunn’s forces.
I turned my horse toward the portal. “Let’s go!”
We rode hard, heading north. In the darkness, I could barely make out the enemies running on foot to make their escape. I considered grabbing some of them with my powers, but then I caught sight of the portal’s blue glow. As Therressians raced to leap into the ring, Aella was on her knees with shaking hands extended toward it. I was impressed that she’d held it this long. As I came closer, I caught the sound of her ragged breaths.
Using my power, I forced her arms down until I broke her channeling magic. She turned her face toward me with tired, mournful eyes and cheeks streaked with tears. I sighed. This was going to be complicated because if she were anyone else, I’d have killed her right then. People would wonder why I didn’t do so now—or at least make an example out of her. Though I might not feel anything other than some lust toward my beautiful wife, I couldn’t harm her. My vow prevented it, but also because she and her abilities were vital to my plans.
One of the elves riding with me headed straight for her with his sword raised. No doubt, he thought he was doing us all a favor by killing her. Still, it surprised me how much rage built inside my chest at the thought of her being harmed—the same as that day on the island.
“Stop,” I ordered.
The elf paused his blade mid-strike. “Sir?”
“She’s mine. Split up our forces and seek out all the lingering Therressians. Finish them and then gather all the bodies and bring them here. The lady Aella will open a portal to transport them back when she’s sufficiently recovered,” I said.
One argument I could make was that by the king’s law, we had to return the bodies of our enemies. There were so many tonight that transporting them through the mountain pass to the border for Therress to collect would require a lot of time and effort. Using Aella to open a portal would be far more efficient.
He nodded and began shouting orders to the others. I used my power to scoop up my wife and put her before me on my horse. A sweet, floralscent with a hint of spice hit my senses. I had to grind my teeth to ignore the reaction it evoked in me. She trembled so hard that I had to hold her tightly to prevent her from falling.
“What…?” Aella asked, twisting to look up at me.
“That was the second time you’ve been on your knees before me, you know,” I said, giving her a grim smile.
She stiffened and looked around at my forces working to do my bidding. Her voice came out in a whisper, “How are we going to explain this?”
An idea had already begun to take shape in my mind, but I couldn’t tell her the precise truth, or it wouldn’t work properly. “I suppose I’ll have to keep you prisoner.”
“You wouldn’t,” she said, eyes rounding.
I shrugged. “First, you must recover enough to send your dead home through the portal ring, and then I’ll decide for certain.”
