Chapter Two

Chapter 2

The sun had just risen above the mountains. The morning forest mist was light, but gave enough cover. The group had been riding all night, trying to escape their pursuers and get far away from the ruins.

Scout Borli was attacked first. He was watching the rear as the group rode to Suuri, trying to put as much distance between themselves and the meteor site as possible. He sent pushed the button on his short range communicator.

“Sir, their not half a mile behind!” he said over the pounding of his horse's hooves.

“Noted. Borli, catch up with us. We take a stand on this hill,” came Rembold's voice.

Borli spurred his horse onward, weaving between the trees that had become sparse in this area. He could see the base of the hill ahead. It was only a quarter of a mile away.

His head started to feel light. He noticed he was having a hard time breathing. He tried to draw a breath, but couldn't. He twisted to look around and saw another horse to his right. The man atop it was playing a flute, the melody piercing Borli's ears like so many needles.

'Air mage', he thought. He was quickly fading, trying to think of a defense against suffocation. His horse was also slowing down and heaving to get a breath.

Borli raised his gun with what strength he had left and fired at the other man. He missed the rider, but his the horse in the eye with a bolt of electricity. The horse reared up and whinnied in pain, throwing its rider. Borli took a deep breath at last, but his horse collapsed beneath him. He jumped, landing on his side, and stood again. His horse tipped, panting heavily and looking at him with wild eyes.

Borli knew he had to leave it. He glanced at his pursuer and saw the man was getting on his feet, holding his head. Borli raised his gun and fired again, holding the trigger down. Bolts of lightning shot at the man, electrocuting him. Borli released the trigger and ran, not watching as the body fell to the forest floor, blackened and burned.

Rembold saw Borli approaching the hill on foot and knew he had been attacked.

“Guns and spells at the ready!” he shouted to the men. They had formed a ring around him. Borli reached the top of the barren hill and got in position next to Rembold, catching his breath.

“Must have been a forward,” Borli said, gesturing to where he had been attacked. Rembold nodded and put a hand on his guard's back. Borli's breathing instantly calmed and he felt strong and ready to fight. “Sir, you didn't-”

“We need everyone at their prime,” Rembold cut him off. He pulled out a ring and put it into Borli's hand, then whispered in his ear. “This will make you invisible. If anything happens, you get back to Suuri. Report to my wife first, no matter what. Then tell only King Leijon. Nobody else.”

Borli looked into his eyes with concern, then resolve. He nodded and took the ring.

A guard nearby took out a short metal tube from his pack and extended it out, making it fifteen feet long. He held one end to his eye and lifted the other to the sky.

“I see movement to the southeast!” he said aloud. “Riders moving through the trees.” He turned his telescope to the right. “And from the south!” He did a full circle, confirming no other incoming riders.

“Men, shoot anyone and anything that comes through the trees into this clearing.” Rembold had been considering what to use against these Chaelestan trackers. He pulled from his saddlebag a small bag of brass pendants and gave them to the men to hand to each other.

“These will protect from magic you for one minute after you press the button,” he explained. “But your guns and spells won't work during that time. Use wisely.”

He took out a small box, an electricity shield, and placed it in the center of the ring of guards. He pushed the button on top and a pole raised up from the center, thirty feet above his head. He hoped the range would be big enough to cover the whole hill, but would be glad if it only covered his men.

Next he took out his favorite tool: his lute. It was made by him, and he had been sure to put as many spells into its design as he could without compromising its musical and physical integrity. He took a small wooden pick, also enchanted, and tuned the strings on the instrument. Then he took a cable and plugged one end into a hole in the bottom of the lute. Taking out another metal box, he plugged the other end of the cable into a hole on it. He pressed a button on the box and heard the noise telling him it was active. Borli watched with curiosity at this technology, but said nothing.

“Two approaching from the south!”

Rembold looked to his right and prepared to activate the electricity shield. Then he heard the shouts.

“It's us! Don't fire!” Guard Captain Horr's voice came through the trees.

“It's the captain. Hold fire!” Rembold called out.

Horr and the other guard came through the trees. They were horseless and weaponless. They up the slope and got next to Rembold and Borli. The guard took a place in the circle as Horr caught his breath.

“They're coming!” said the guard with the telescope.

“Captain, rest for a bit,” Rembold said. He knew there was not time to heal the captain and keep up his defenses. Horr had dried blood on his arms and a large bruise across his face. He put a hand on Rembold's back as thanks, then sat down next to Borli. “I'll command,” Rembold added.

“Fine, fine.”

A group of five men on foot came out of the woods. Two were shot instantly with bolts of electricity. A third had his head snapped by a stream of water. The other two just dropped dead, their life being sucked out of them by two of the guns.

“They've circled around!” came a guard's voice from the north side of the hill. Ten more appeared, and within seconds were shocked, burned, soaked, or otherwise dead.

“If this is all they have-” Borli began.

“Incoming!”

The main force had arrived. His men began shooting, taking out a couple before Rembold activated the electricity shield. A dome covered his guards, some points reaching the bottom of the hill. The first three riders to reach the shield were turned instantly to ash. The others reigned in their mounts, avoiding the electricity.

“Solids, Energies and Airs, continue to fire!” Rembold ordered. The other guards could die if they tried shooting through this field. The steward adjusted his fingers on his lute and began playing. The chords blasted over the hill and into the trees. Many Chaelestans were knocked off their horses from the wave of air that passed over.

The guards kept shooting, taking out as many as they could. Rembold kept playing his lute, sometimes sending waves to knock his enemies over, other times sending melodies to cause them to lose their breath or be blasted with needle like jets of air.

The Chaelestans formed a ring around the hill. Rembold saw them each put their hands to their necks and knew what was happening.

“Prepare your pendants!” he said, amplifying his voice over the noises of battle.

Blue barriers of light protected each Chaelestan. They started running up the hill with their weapons out, unable to cast spells, but also invulnerable them.

Rembold put down his lute and pulled out a dagger. Spells would not work, but weapons still would.

“Draw your swords!” he ordered. The guards obeyed, closing the circle tighter as the Chaelestans approached.

“Captain Horr?” Borli said. Rembold turned to look at the captain. As he did, he felt a hand on his back. Pain shot through his body, and he collapsed, catching a glimpse of Captain Horr standing over him before he blacked out.