Amukelo and Padrin urged their horse forward, the thunder of hooves behind them growing louder. The enemies were catching up. Amukelo glanced back, his heart pounding in time with the galloping beat. He could see them—Peles, Ovun, and Jezar—gaining ground. Their horses were superior, faster, bred for speed and endurance. The straight path was their advantage, and Padrin knew it.
"We won't outrun them on this road," Padrin muttered under his breath, his eyes scanning the dense woods up ahead. Without hesitation, he tugged the reins, veering the horse off the road and into the forest. The trees closed in around them, the shadows offering some brief cover as they weaved between trunks and low-hanging branches. The uneven terrain slowed their pursuers slightly, but not enough. The sound of their enemies crashing through the woods behind them was relentless.
Padrin cursed under his breath. "This might have slowed them, but it's not enough." Amukelo nodded grimly, glancing over his shoulder. The enemies were still there, their horses maneuvering through the trees with precision. While they were no longer gaining quickly, they weren't losing ground either.
After a few minutes, Amukelo and Padrin burst out of the woods and onto open fields. The sun glared down on them, the wide expanse of the plains offering no place to hide. The wind whipped at their faces as they sped across the open terrain, the hooves of their horse tearing up the grass beneath them.
Behind them, Peles shouted to his companions, his voice carrying over the wind. "In these fields, we'll catch them! Prepare for confrontation!"
Amukelo heard the shout and exchanged a quick glance with Padrin. They both knew the chase was nearing its end. They couldn't outrun them much longer, and confrontation was inevitable. Padrin was the first to voice it. "We're not going to escape like this."
Amukelo's grip on his sword tightened as he nodded. "What's the plan?"
Padrin's eyes narrowed as he thought quickly. "We'll jump off the horse on my signal. If they catch us while we're riding, they'll surely tarfet the horse first. But if we dismount, we can strike their horses, take them out of the fight. If we need to flee again, we'll still have our mount."
Amukelo gave a sharp nod, trusting his comrade's instincts. Padrin was just as skilled as he was, and his plan made sense. There was no time for second-guessing now.
The enemies were almost upon them. Padrin leaned close to Amukelo, his voice just loud enough to be heard over the pounding hooves. "One… two… three…"
At the exact moment, both Amukelo and Padrin leaped from the horse, their bodies rolling through the tall grass as they hit the ground. Their enemies, expecting a continued chase, were caught off guard. By the time Peles, Ovun, and Jezar realized what had happened, Amukelo and Padrin were already on their feet, swords drawn and ready for the strike.
The horse, now riderless, veered away from the confrontation, but it had served its purpose. Peles and the others had been so focused on the chase that they didn't anticipate what came. Amukelo and Padrin moved with precision, with a swift, brutal strike, Amukelo's blade slashed through the flank of Jezar and Ovun's mount, while Padrin's sword found its mark in Peles's horse.
Blood and dirt sprayed into the air as the horses went down, their bodies crashing to the ground in a mess of limbs. Peles, Ovun, and Jezar were thrown from their mounts, hitting the ground hard as their horses skidded across the field, leaving a trail of blood in their wake.
Amukelo and Padrin didn't waste a second, preparing to press their advantage. But their enemies were quick to recover. Even before the dust had fully settled, Peles, Ovun, and Jezar scrambled to their feet, weapons drawn, forming a tight defensive line. Their eyes were sharp, their stance steady. The surprise had been brief, and now they were ready for battle.
Ovun spat on the ground, his eyes gleaming with a savage grin as he raised his massive axe. "Using such cheap tricks won't help you survive this fight," he growled, his voice filled with menace.
Amukelo moved first, lunging forward with a fierce determination that drove him straight into Jezar's path. Their swords met with a loud clash, the impact of steel on steel reverberating in the air. Jezar snarled, shifting his weight as he locked Amukelo in place, but the clash didn't last long. From the corner of his eye, Amukelo saw Ovun's massive axe swinging toward him in a deadly arc.
With a quick sidestep, Amukelo dodged the blow, narrowly avoiding the axe's heavy edge. But before he could fully regain his balance, Peles darted in from his left, a dagger flashing in his hand. Amukelo realized he wouldn't be able to dodge in time—this one was going to hit its mark.
But just as Peles's blade was about to connect, Padrin's sword intercepted it, the sound of clashing metal sharp and precise. Peles made a frustrated "tsh…" sound, stepping back with a guarded stance. Amukelo flashed a quick smile at Padrin, adrenaline surging through his veins.
"It's not so easy when the tide is more even," he said, his voice tinged with defiance.
Jezar's expression tightened with frustration as he swung his sword, aiming to cut down their confidence as well as their bodies. "Don't think you can win just because there are two of you," he hissed.
Amukelo met Jezar's swing with a powerful block, the impact forcing his arm back slightly. But Jezar was quick, his movements calculated. He twisted his wrist, redirecting Amukelo's sword to the side, leaving him exposed. In that split second, Amukelo caught a glimpse of Ovun bearing down on him with the axe again. But Padrin stepped in, blocking the powerful blow with a deft parry that sent sparks flying.
Amukelo returned his focus to Jezar, who was already preparing his next strike. They clashed again, their swords locked, but Amukelo anticipated the next move. He ducked low, slipping under Jezar's guard and driving his elbow upward in a sharp, brutal motion. His elbow connected with Jezar's jaw, the impact forcing him back, his stance faltering as he tried to regain his balance. Jezar staggered, his vision momentarily blurred, but he barely had time to recover before Amukelo's blade was already descending toward him.
But Peles slipped in between them, blocking Amukelo's sword with a crossed dagger. He managed to deflect the blade but retaliated with a swift, shallow slash that sliced across Amukelo's forearm. The sting was sharp, blood welling instantly from the cut, and Amukelo felt his grip weaken as his hand momentarily slipped from the sword's hilt.
Gritting his teeth, Amukelo forced his fingers to close around the hilt again, ignoring the searing pain in his arm. With a surge of strength, he pushed his sword forward, forcing Peles to use one dagger to block. This imbalance gave Amukelo a brief opening. He angled his sword down, pushing past Peles's defense and grazing Jezar's torso, leaving a shallow but bloody slash across his opponent's chest.
Jezar staggered, clutching the wound, while Peles seized the moment to strike. He aimed a vicious stab toward Amukelo's stomach. But Amukelo jumped back just in time, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow. He steadied himself a few paces away, chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath, the pain in his arm throbbing with each beat of his heart.
Padrin fell back beside him, his eyes sharp, taking in their enemies. Across the small gap, Jezar, Peles, and Ovun regrouped, each breathing heavily, their gazes hard and unwavering. Blood smeared across Jezar's chest, and he clutched his wound with one hand, his teeth clenched in pain. Peles turned to him, his voice tight but steady. "Can you fight?"
Jezar gave a terse nod, though his jaw was set with the strain of holding back pain. "It's nothing."
Padrin leaned toward Amukelo, his voice low and urgent. "We'll need to create an opening to get to the horse. We'reat disadvantages position. We need a way out."
Amukelo nodded, feeling the weight of his weakening grip on the sword. His wound was shallow, but the blood slicking his hand made holding the weapon harder with each passing second.