Ch 8: Battle Worn
Long before the sun rose the next morning, Felix and Ana were brutally awakened by the imminent crashing of thunder. With a fury, the sky loosed a torrent, almost as if it had been holding its breath and could no longer dam the rage of rain. As the first wave descended, Ana's eyes flashed open at the sheer chill soaking her. Jolting clear of the haze of sleep, she pushed up to her elbows, gazing at the flint sky with squinted eyes. Glancing over, she watched Felix push off of his bedroll, impatiently shoving back his already soaked hair, long raven strands falling into his eyes. Sparing a glance at the ominous sky, he shook his head and took to his feet, dousing the spitting and hissing fire with a wave of his hand. Sighing reluctantly, Ana stood as well.
The irony of the situation suddenly struck her as she bent to gather her bed roll, and Ana couldn't hold back the chuckle that bubbled in her throat. The bubble became a geyser, and for the first time in longer than she cared to remember, Ana laughed with carefree abandon, her arms wrapped around her waist, trying to contain the mirth as her lungs ached from the outburst of withheld emotion.
When the pressure of laughter started to ease, Ana was able to see through the tears and the rain that Felix was looking at her with a very concerned, very wary expression. Wiping the moisture from her eyes as small blips of laughter still slipped through her lips, Ana shook her head, trying to reassure Felix that she was not, in fact, totally insane. Holding out her hands at her sides to catch the rain wiping away some of the pain, fear, and distrust that had been dogging her, Ana closed her eyes and tilted her head back. Under the almost deafening patter of rain, Felix could barely hear her soft spoken words.
"It's actually not that funny," she acknowledged. "I was taken from my world during a storm like this. Seemingly endless, powerful, and without bias or judgment." Looking back at Felix, Ana's eyes were soft and almost content. "Maybe our worlds aren't so different, after all." The two of them only stood about six feet apart, but the miles-long gap that had separated their minds and hearts started to close, just a little. No words breached the moment, and the fall of rain began to match the rhythm of two beating hearts.
The connection snapped at the tandem of hoofbeats. Felix's eyes sharpened like blades, and Ana controlled the urge to jump like a rabbit. Swallowing back her blood's call to run, Ana turned to Felix, waiting for his directions. Their eyes met, emerald clashing against sapphire, and Ana's brow furrowed slightly at the ghost of a hunted expression in Felix's eyes. His Adam's apple bobbed, and Ana's heart started to instinctively sink. What was wrong? What was causing Felix to pause, to stumble?
Taking charge and moving silently, Ana kicked what was quickly becoming mud over the remains of the fire, snatched up her pack, swung it onto her back and slid to a stop next to Felix. She was relieved to see that he had broken his frozen stance, also slinging up his pack with a jerky movement. Ana watched him warily, not making eye contact. Felix appeared to be galvanized, reaching into the folds of his cloak, withdrawing what appeared to be a small lump of red clay carved with a symbol reminiscent of a capital "A." Cupping it in his hands, Felix gently blew over the red earth as the rain filled the carving's channels, murmuring strange words that Ana couldn't quite catch over the pounding drum beat of the rain.
The protection spell that had till now been invisible pulsed to life with a dull gold color, fine and shimmering under the dim cast of the rain. It was like a thin aureate net draped in a dome over the clearing. Whistling a low, clear tone, Felix drew the net down in dripping streams of light, the spell moving almost like wet paint. It seemed to be magnetized to the earth in Felix's hand. The red clay absorbed the spell's light; some of it dripped directly down from the roof of the dome while anything below ten feet high dribbled down the side, running along the ground like gold water to Felix's feet before inexplicably climbing up him to reach the red clay.
Soon it seemed that Felix was enveloped by the light, until he appeared cast in gold. Ana stood mesmerized as the process continued, unaware the bracelet on her wrist was humming and glowing more extravagantly than before in response to the magic nearby. The final splashes trailed up Felix's legs to his hands, sinking into the lump of clay with a soft sigh. The clay pulsed almost blindingly once, and then was once again a non-descript chunk of earth.
Felix tucked the earth clod back in his soaked cloak, and looked up as if his actions had been totally normal as he again brushed back his wet, rebellious hair. His brow lifted at Ana's wide-eyed expression, and looked equally bemused until his face cleared with sudden understanding, realizing that Ana must have never seen anything like that before.
"It's called a compoti. It absorbs a simple spell so that it can be recalled for later use instead of recast. It preserves energy, which is where a wizard's strength stems," he explained in a low voice as they made their cautious way out of the clearing. Ana was about to respond when Felix raised a hand in warning, his eyes focused just to the north as they knelt in some brush. Ana could sense the tension thrumming along his strong shoulders, and made an effort to breathe normally and quietly. However, that too was becoming a challenge, as the cold seeped under her skin and into her muscle and bone. Shivers tried to rack her frame, and Ana fought to keep her breathing regular and quiet.
A giant shudder finally broke through, so severe that it attracted Felix's attention. Laying feather-light fingers on her frozen cheek, he pressed warm lips to her other cheek. The kiss was nothing but polite, but heat exploded from the contact, racing through her blood like lightning until Ana was wet, but warm, the sensation of bubbling champagne still in her fingertips. She wasn't sure if it was a brush of magic or the contact of his lips that had washed her in warmth, but Ana was certain that she didn't want to explore the second option to disprove the first.
Felix's eyes again turned north, where the original hoofbeats had first originated. The rhythm faded in and out, unable to always compete with the rainfall's encompassing thunder. He tapped two fingers against the ground twice, and Ana watched as silver ripples emanated from the touch, quickly fading under the onslaught of the rain. She noticed Felix's brows frown more heavily, then relax. Standing slowly, he offered her a hand while keeping his eyes targeted to the north. Turning and moving with the stealth of a shadow once Ana had taken to her feet, Felix headed southwest, constantly glancing over his shoulder. Ana ground her teeth to check the urge to copy his nervous glances, and instead worked to keep her steps light and quiet.
They had been travelling for only half an hour at the most when hoofbeats exploded in a thunder not ten feet to the east. The two broke apart as the dozen infuriated Arsalans burst through the bushes, the horses sailing over the hedges as if they had wings. Ana's eyes shot wide as she dodged back, slipping and stumbling in the mud as a horse's hooves missing her trailing arm by inches. She heard Felix's muttered curse, and looked up just in time to catch his livid expression which, if she wasn't mistaken, was faintly laced with fear for her.
Her eyes focused with a keen accuracy as adrenaline gushed into Ana's system, her muscles trembling as her heart kicked up its beat. The Arsalans had split into two groups—six riders surrounded Ana with an impenetrable wall of horseflesh while the other half dozen circled Felix just as effectively. Separated and alone, the two of them had to count only on themselves. Taking that into account, Ana made a point to be as observant as possible.
The horses were winded, and steamed in the slashing rain. They must have been pushed hard to close her and Felix's lead. The men were also soaked, and clearly chilled to the bone as fine tremors shook their hands and faces. Many had to swipe their hair and water from their eyes as the rain continued to fall mercilessly. Ana whirled, refusing to plant her feet and leave her back exposed as she looked from one cavalry soldier to the other. Faintly she registered that the Arsalan captain was speaking to Felix about twenty feet away, but the blood was pounding too hard in her ears and the rain pummeling the earth too mercilessly to comprehend what he was saying.
Not to mention she had bigger problems of her own. One of the officers drew his pistol, a smile just tinged with evil curving his lips. The others chuckled, several drawing their pistols while those favoring the blade drew their gleaming swords. One of them muttered a low sentence, clearly meant for her. This one Ana could hear.
"We were instructed to bring you back alive. Lady Apollo didn't specify how alive you were to arrive." Ana swallowed back the fear that scrambled at her throat like a trapped mouse, bringing her weight to her toes and moving her hands out to the ready. Her conscious mind stuttered to a terrifying silence. Within the beat of a heart—her heart—Ana's instincts took over, the bracelet on her wrist blazing alight. Out of the corner of her eye, Ana registered an explosion of light within Felix's circle, followed by a crack of thunder brutal enough to cause the horses to start that didn't emanate from the sky. In that electric moment of ice, Ana heard Felix's call.
"Ana! Run!"
She moved, untried muscles screaming at the exertion. However, running was the last thing on her mind. Dropping her pack and lunging forward at a young lieutenant favoring his sword arm who was riding a particularly spooky horse, Ana hooked her arm through his and yanked while she simultaneously slapped the horse's hindquarters. The men effectively scattered, as spooked as their horses by the bolting horse racing straight for them. The shocked young officer toppled to the ground, his mouth gaping as Ana disarmed him and shoved his gun into the waistband of her breeches with quick, swift movements, the pistol's cold, wet barrel pressing against her spine. As the Arsalans still regrouped from their break in ranks, Ana squeezed the young man's temples. He was unconscious within the blink of an eye.
The Earth Ana stood back, gaping in shock at what she had done and what she was capable of. The Warrior Ana—the Mage just breathing to life—whirled, commandeered sword shivering with the pewter light of the rain and the sky. Gripping the wet hilt like a vise, she spared a searching glance for Felix. He too had a blade—one made of magic, not metal that shone wild silver and trailed sterling flames, while the pendant bouncing against his chest glowed like a blue star. He spared little mercy for Apollo's hunting dogs, and blood already splattered the ground. He narrowly avoided being skewered as a still mounted Arsalan took aim and charged, but, moving with a balletic grace, Felix dodged, catching the man high enough in the shoulder with his magicked sword to have the Arsalan flying to the ground, groaning as he clamped a white hand to the wound erupting blood at his shoulder.
Bolstered, Ana returned her attention to her own circle of problems, still numbering five. They sprinted forward as a front, intimidating and impassable. The roar of gunfire competed with the thunder that shot across the sky, lightning as fine as lace lancing down in a dare from the heavens themselves. Moving on pure instinct, Ana swiped the bullets away with an impatient swing of her blade. As the ash that had once formed lead bullets was driven to the mud by the rain, the Arsalans closed in.
Their strategy was obvious. The outside riders would curl around, again encircling Ana with riders who had the obvious advantage. Taking the more audacious, and dangerous, option, Ana pushed forward against the lead rider. He knew what he was doing—handling his mount expertly, the Arsalan wheeled his horse, the animal's stone hard rump knocking Ana back as it swung around. The ground soft and slick under her peddling feet, Ana went down.
Rolling like a panther, Ana took to her feet, changing her strategy suddenly. Moving like the lightning that splintered the sky, she took a running charge at the rider just to the right of the leader. The sergeant was forced to loosen the trigger as Ana brought one of his fellow riders into the line of fire. Wrapping her left arm around the rearing mount's soaked neck, Ana swung up, her right foot catching the man in the temple. The horse slipped in the churned mud, further compromising its rider's seat and forcing it to end its rear. As the horse's feet touched the ground, Ana landed in front of the saddle as the horse's rider hit the ground heavily. Scooting back, Ana gathered the reins in her fist, bringing the horse around hard. The animal fought her—it had been trained well—but Ana's eyes narrowed, and the horse relaxed with a snort, moving easily.
Now on even ground with her opponents, Ana took down two—no, three men before returning her attention to the leader of her ring of Arsalans. The two faced off, and Ana could hear the sounds of battle still raging not thirty feet away. Horses screamed, the tone trembling under the patter of the rain. Men moaned, and fought to get out of the way of the battles still raging. Some walked, some crawled. Some didn't move at all. Guilt wormed its way to the surface, and Ana swept for any dead with her mind. None had yet lost their lives, though some could be close if left untreated. Relieved, she returned her attention to the sergeant glaring at her with bared teeth. Mud splattered his face, the rain had soaked his thinning hair and uniform, and his mount shifted its hooves in search of sure footing amidst the soup-like mud.
Not bothering to fight the wicked smile that curved her lips, Ana flicked the sword in her hand. As if dipped in oil and held to a flame, it shone like a beacon, consumed with an emerald fire that seemed impervious to the endless rain. Cuing her mount hard, Ana sent the horse flying forward, pleased when the sergeant did the same. Only feet from her opponent, however, Ana suddenly heard Felix.
"No, Ana!" he cried. The stones in her bracelet that had been gleaming so brightly for so long gave one final flash before falling utterly dark. Her sword was also extinguished, leaving Ana with nothing but a piece of steel she had no idea how to handle. It was, Ana discovered, like dying.
Her mind, so full of color and control, completely blanked. Her muscles froze, then went totally lax. In a way, it saved her life. Her still running mount brought her closer to the sergeant, but when Ana suddenly relinquished complete control, the horse veered to the left, following instinct to avoid the head-on collision it was certain would occur should it stay its course. Pressing a shaking hand to the horse's withers in attempt to straighten as it slowed to a stop, Ana suddenly convulsed, vomiting blood over the animal's shoulder. Pain wracked her system, vibrating out from her spinal cord over her entire body and up into her brain. Ana felt like she was being ripped apart, every link in her mind and senses betraying her as they sizzled and shattered.
Through her tear- and rain-misted eyes, Ana could see Felix catch the butt of a pistol to the back of the head, sending him tumbling into the mud with eyes rolling and limbs loose. Releasing the sword she could no longer feel, Ana clutched her head, moaning softly as her stomach and lungs tried to follow the copious amount of blood that had already evacuated her body. Blood leaked from her nose in a dangerous stream, accompanying the blood draining from her ears. Over the screaming hurricane in her head, Ana could hear the sloshing hoofbeats of the sergeant's mount. She looked over with stars still revolving in her sight at the faint silhouette of the man who spelled the end of her freedom, perhaps even her life. And Felix? She couldn't guess what monstrosities they would inflict on him. An overwhelming sense of guilt made Ana's stomach clench, but not even the shiver of deep-seated, gut-wrenching emotion could make her move in defense, hers or Felix's.
Closing her eyes on a soft sob, Ana huddled forward, wrapping her arms around herself in a tight hug, unable to fight the pain that was short-circuiting her nerves from sheer volume, as even the rain drops pattering her back felt like individual stab wounds, each inexplicably finding her heart. Tears mingled with rain on the poor horse's shoulder as Ana wept, strength draining out of her like the blood pouring from her nose and ears. She had tried, and fought, so hard. It had been magnificent, to know, without analysis or conscious thought, how to think, how to move. How to win. She—they—had been so, so very close. The magic, something she hadn't even believed in, had intoxicated her, a drug that had swam in her blood like champagne with the sweetest tang of power. Losing it felt like a bullet to the neck—left irreversibly out of control but helplessly aware of what she no longer possessed. As her body tore itself apart, self-destruction the only way it knew to compensate for the power that had dominated it with such intensity, Ana slowly lost the feeling in her extremities. Not from the cold of the rain, but from the shut-down of her nervous system. The only sensation Ana had left to know that she was alive was the all-consuming pain.
Drowning deep in her sea of agony, Ana didn't hear the flap of wings, nor the sergeant's horse's tinny squeal. Amazingly, she did manage to hear the thud as the sergeant's body hit the ground. Opening her blackening eyes slowly, Ana felt a small smile crack the cold mask of her face at the sight of Felix standing next to the horse's shoulder, his hand carefully, oh so carefully, stroking her shoulder. Fresh tears fell down her cheeks as a tiny sound of joy and relief broke through, Ana's heart brimming full at the sight of Felix alive. When she tried to croak his name, he waved away her attempt. It was only then that she saw the pain in his eyes, the guilt and the fear dominating the soulful sapphire azure color.
"Come here, my brave warrior," he said gently as he took Ana's limp left hand in his and wrapped an arm around her waist. Ignoring the agony that erupted at every contact as best she could, Ana followed Felix's guiding touch with an almost childish obedience. Her feet didn't even touch the ground before Felix scooped her up into his arms, cradling her against his chest. Her tears thickened as every touch, every breath, every thought flooded her with fresh torture. Still, Ana turned to him, her fingers vising in his cloak as she pressed her forehead against his chest. The patter of rain seemed so distant under the wind in her ears.
Summoning whatever droplets of strength she had left, Ana murmured with closed eyes, "Remind me to tell you of my father." Black finally closed in, blessing Ana with a reprieve from the pain that could kill her. Felix swallowed back the tears, guilt, and fear that tried to strangle him. His shoulder would go at any moment, but he could hardly expect Ana to move, and so carried her with a stoic determination. He never, never thought something like this could happen. Never guessed that her gift would break so wildly free and rage for so long. It would be unheard of if she survived such an onslaught to her system.
Felix had never tasted such a poignant fear like the one that was shoved down his throat when, through the curtain of rain, he watched as Ana's sword and talisman were extinguished. Never did he wish to taste it again. With the mind-bound horse trailing after him, Felix trudged through the rain, Ana heavy in his compromised arms. Blood of his own flowed, mixing with the crimson that trailed from Ana's nose and ears. No one could argue that they hadn't won their freedom that day. But how high was the price?
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Whoa, super heavy!! Let me know what you think of the fight scene. I told you guys all hell was going to break loose, it was just a matter of time. I desperately cranked this puppy out before leaving for Granby for the weekend of July 4th. Damn thing sucked me in. Explanations galore next chapter, but for now, you just get to worry and wonder. Three more chapters before Felix and Ana get a break. If you thought this was crazy, you're gonna have your socks blown off by some of the stuff coming up. I'm loving this momentum. I've never experienced it before. Oh, by the way, the term "compoti" is something I made up. It's a combination of Latin words that mean "absorb." Well, hope you like it!!