CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX - MELEE

Melanie noted with satisfaction Julian’s expression, shocked and intimidated, as he turned away from her and rejoined the fray. He was charming enough, and certainly nice to look at, but it never hurt to keep a man off-balance. Besides, he, and Raedrick as well for that matter, seemed to forget sometimes that she was no delicate flower that needed protection.

Julian disappeared into the fray, and Melanie turned her attention elsewhere. The gap in the barricade was temporarily stopped by the corpses of a couple horses. Some of Farzal’s men were climbing over on foot, though. Selam stood alone, sword in hand, to meet them.

He could handle himself, from what she had been told.

The two archers on the barricade were having a rougher time of it. Three arrows flew over the wall for every pair they sent over. In retrospect, they probably should have stationed those two in the platforms…

The concussion of the right side platform’s destruction drew her attention. She had been a bit surprised the other mage had not taken a greater hand in things yet, but apparently that was done. If he had seen through that platform’s concealment, he would likely find the second one also.

Unless she could defend that platform, their biggest advantage in this fight would be gone.

Drawing a deep breath, she opened her book. She had tabbed several pages, for quick reference. The third one dealt with incantations to repel hostile spells. She was familiar with them, and had practiced them many times over the last week, but it was vital to be precise, so she took a few seconds to glance through the text.

It never hurt to check her memory one last time.

Satisfied, she pulled the necessary components from one of the pockets in her cloak and began the chant of protection. Silently, she prayed that she would not mess it up.

* * *

The first of the thieves climbed over the dead horses. Selam moved back a step to allow the man proper footing and give him a chance to ready himself. Honor dictated no less, and while these men may have tossed honor to the wind, Selam was not willing to debase himself that way.

Incomprehensibly, the thief looked surprised at Selam’s gesture. How could a man fall so far as to not even realize what the dictates of propriety were?

Grinning in what Selam presumed the thief intended to be an intimidating manner, he whipped his sword, a cheap-looking thing with too wide a blade to be practical, around in the air a few times. The fool should have just come for him instead of revealing how inept he was. He could not even flourish his blade properly!

Their encounter was over before the thief made his move. Selam could have taken him in his sleep; he had already shifted his focus to the next two coming across the horses when the thief made his completely predictable attempt at an attack and wound up skewered on Selam’s sword instead.

Selam stepped forward and heard the thief stagger to his knees behind him, then fall over completely.

The two approaching thieves saw their ally’s death and paused in their advance. They looked to each other for a moment then, reassured in each others’ presence, moved toward Selam. They need not have been reassured; from the way they walked, their skills were no more impressive than their fellow.

All the same, the two of them together were not to be dismissed as easily.

Selam stepped back again, out of politeness, and awaited their approach.

* * *

Beads of sweat budded on Melanie’s brow and ran down her face. The strain of maintaining her concentration on the protective spell was getting worse. The other mage was strong. Very strong. She was not sure how much longer she could keep his attacks at bay.

Another attack came, stronger than the last several had been, and she staggered backwards. She almost lost her footing and her concentration.

Ahead of her, she noticed Selam squaring off against two of the brigands.

Where were Julian and Raedrick? She had not seen them in some time. For that matter, the two archers from the barricade were gone as well. A chill went down her spine and she had to suppress a surge of panic.

Was it just down to her and Selam, and the three men she was struggling to protect up on the platform?

* * *

The first of the pair of thieves fell beneath Selam’s sword. He never stopped moving, dancing beneath the other’s too-high cut and ending him as well with an upward slice of his blade.

Selam spun back to face the gap in the barricade before the second thief hit the ground.

The area within the barricade was clear, for now.

“Selam.”

The voice came from ahead, near the gap.

Selam frowned and moved ahead cautiously. There, behind one of the dead horses. A hand was waving. Sprinting forward, low to make a poor target for an arrow or thrown spear, he reached the barricade and looked down.

And saw Raedrick lying beside him, his legs pinned beneath a horse. He managed to grin. “Took you long enough.”

“Are you hurt?”

“Not badly, yet.”

Selam grabbed Raedrick by the armpits and pulled him free. It was easier than he expected, making him surprised that Raedrick had not been able to free himself. But the angle was awkward; it would be more difficult for him alone.

Raedrick had just regained his feet when a great concussion from overhead announced the destruction of the second archery platform.

* * *

Julian parried an overhead blow from his foe and countered with a kick to the man’s groin. His eyes bulged as Julian’s boot made contact and he staggered backward. To his credit, he remained upright and kept his hands on the hilt of his sword instead of grasping at himself. But he was slow to react as Julian followed up the kick with his sword, and he fell in a heap at Julian’s feet.

Four more of his comrades, and Isenholf himself, were drawing nearer. This was definitely not one of Julian’s smartest moves ever.

He had felled his opponent and rushed to the barricade, ignoring the ache in his thigh which grew stronger with every passing moment. The wound had not yet fully healed, but sometimes you don’t get to choose when you fight, so he had gritted his teeth and continued. At the barricade he met up with Willem and Gregor, the two archers. They were pinned down, but they saw one of their own, Tomi, who had fallen from the right-hand platform. Tomi had landed outside the barricade, but he was alive. For the moment. The brigands had not paid him any mind, but that could not last forever.

So naturally Julian came up with the idea to hop over the barricade with those two and rescue Tomi.

Like he thought as the five brigands approached, murder in their eyes: not his smartest move. Willem had an arrow through his upper arm and could not shoot. Gregor was as yet unharmed, but encumbered as he was dragging Tomi away, there was no way he could help. It was up to Julian alone, with support from the last archers in the platform, to hold the five off long enough for them to get Tomi to safety. Wonderful.

Then the other platform blew up, and whatever small hope Julian had blew up with it.

“Get him out of here,” he shouted, and he backpedaled as quickly as he could.

The first of Isenholf’s men got within sword length and attacked, but Julian avoided the cut easily. Then the second arrived, and he had to throw himself to the side to avoid being run through.

Rolling to his feet, Julian spun around in time to catch another cut, from the first man again, with the flat of his blade. He pulled back again, dragging his blade down and to the side along the brigand’s. He smiled as he felt the slight tug on his weapon caused by the tip of his sword cutting the brigand’s right forearm.

The smile was short-lived, though, as the second and third men reached him again, flanking him on either side. No way to avoid this one. He gritted his teeth and prepared for the pain he knew was coming.

And was amazed when the brigand on his right stiffened and a sword tip exited the front of his chest.

Raedrick’s face appeared behind the man’s shoulder. He winked at Julian and quipped, “Don’t say I never did anything for you.” Then he withdrew his saber and the man collapsed.

Needing no encouragement, Julian spun to his left and engaged the brigand standing there. His face, triumphal just a second before, now was a mask of dread as he fended off Julian’s first cut. He countered, but Julian continued forward, not even bothering to block as he stepped within the circle of the brigand’s swing. The hilt of his sword struck Julian’s shoulder painfully, but more painful still was the stab wound that Julian’s sword made as it entered the brigand’s belly where the ribs met. The man coughed, spasmed, and slumped over, falling to the ground as he slowly slid off Julian’s blade.

Glimmer Vale is the first book of the Glimmer Vale Chronicles, an ongoing heroic fantasy series set in a world of valor and magic. It will be published here, one chapter per week, on Tuesday.

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