James paced from corner to corner in the room he'd rented for the night. Now he was regretting his decision not to drink. 'What if the bloody barbarians attack in the night?'
There was a knock on the door just then, and his gaze finally left the open window. From it he could see the rooves of all other houses on this side of the city, including a distance from the gate. He didn't want to be surprised. Hansworth and the children stepped in at his call.
"You haven't eaten anything, young master?"
James dismissed the man's concern with a wave.
"I'm not really hungry."
"Are you... nervous?"
"Huh? Me?"
He rubbed the palms of his sweaty hands on his trousers even as he snorted.
"Don't be ridiculous. When have you known me to be nervous?"
Yet he did not stop pacing and occasionally staring through the open window.
"What about you Hansworth?" he asked seriously. "I've remembered that when first we met, you were averse to killing any more people..."
Hansworth didn't answer for a long time, and James gave him all the time he needed to think.
"These people have been doing this kind of thing in this region for months, yes?"
"Huh? Yes, I suppose..."
"And demolishing their army will...be a way to use my talents to protect?"
James frowned. "...yes."
James paused his pacing to stare at the man, noting the resolve shining on his face. He nodded in acknowledgement.
"You'll charge down the middle. Keep the leader occupied while I use wildfire to decimate their flanks and rare guard."
Hansworth nodded, but then a throat was being cleared.
"What about me?" Nino asked.
Eno wore a sullen look as he contemplated the ground. James found himself stepping forward and patting the boy's head.
"What do you mean?"
"What will I be doing, commander?"
"Hiding," James replied with a frown, "and I'm not a commander."
"Hiding?! Then why the hell have I been training all along?"
"Because it's good for you. And in case we were ambushed," James shrugged. "Look, I understand your frustration. But you're a kid. It'd be irresponsible to put you in a battle right now."
"They meant to put me in battle much sooner than this, though."
"What?! Who meant to?"
"Nevermind. But you and Hansworth are just a little older than me. And master James, you've never killed anyone before, even despite your strong magic."
James's hand froze, and he stared off into space. They didn't know he'd killed before. That he knew how a battle field smelled as much as any man. Even better than them, with the sulfur and destruction he'd seen, with the rattle of guns being fired, and the earth shattering booms of dropping missiles. His wild fire would be friendlier.
That night the children decided to leave him alone. He'd looked introspective when they left, but he'd only been remembering. The smell of burned flesh, and sweat, and piss.
'Why the hell am I doing this anyway? I'd planned that if I couldn't recruit them I'd just find a way to avoid the bandits.' But now something was different. 'I need to free her.'
He'd been looking at it all like a novel. Like they were just the sum of words he'd once read on a page. But something was starting to click for him. This world, this place, it was real. It was a real world, with real people who had hopes and dreams and fears and emotions. And who bled red too.
But if they had emotions, then they could be manipulated too. He heard it then, that tyrannical voice that had lately taken residence in his mind, and it laughed.
'I really hope she took the bait. But even if she didn't, we'll meet again, after I've decimated this army. I won't let that gory fate the novel described come to pass.'
*************
In a dilapidated shack near the edge of the village, Talia of the claws sat and watched the dirt road that ran straight for a long time, right before starting to wind its way around a bunch of hills and huge rocks. Where she expected the army were now camping, avoiding the notice of lux guards.
'These fools have been in peace too long they don't know the meaning of caution. Not like we did, at least.'
Images flickered through her mind again, like they'd been doing the whole night.
Talon and Jonas were snoring like pigs in one corner. Mania had been twisting and turning the whole night, groaning in pain every now and then.
Aric had stayed up with her, the sweet boy. And he was sweet, she knew. She knew he'd had a crush on her for years now. Yet, if recent events were to be taken into account, she doubted she'd ever return his feelings.
A sword descended, blood spurted, and a child screamed as yet another parent was taken. The town was in rubble, and yet the lord bunched up in his tiny fortress, keeping his knights close and locking the gates tight even as the people hounded and knocked and screamed.
A hand fell on her shoulder and Talia reacted before she could think. She only barely stopped herself from stabbing Aric in the throat at the final second.
"Gods, Aric, don't scare me like that!"
"I'm sorry," he said with raised hands. "You just looked..."
And Talia felt the moisture seeping from her eyes. When had she started to cry? Why was it clear instead of red? Why...? She'd gotten lost in her head again, lost in her memories.
Before she could reply though, the world started to shake as though a gigantic beast were stomping its way through it, and a cloud of dust rose, hiding the approaching army from view.
"Do you think they'll be alright?" Aric asked.
But all her mind could tell her was that he was right. He was right! And the cause she'd given her life for would gleefully turn to harrassing the innocents.
**********
Nino wasn't happy about her role in the coming fight. James had charged her with finding an out of the way place where she could keep both her and her brother safe. She tried not to be bitter towards Eno, but she couldn't hide it.
She saw him look, and she saw him wince; but she was tired. She didn't want a life like that anymore.
'I thought if I could just show him how useful I am, then maybe he'd want to keep me around...'
The thought almost brought a tear to her eyes. Up ahead, the villagers were getting ready to hunker down in some of the more sturdy houses. The inn, being the best looking building in the place, was all but abandoned. Sighing, Nino went to join the press of bodies.
*************
Hansworth walked through the abandoned street, and at its end he saw the charging army. At it's front ran a man who he could have thought was mounted, what with his mountainous build. He held a war hammer and his face was covered by a helm.
The war cry he emitted was the loudest, even though he was charging into a town of emaciated farmers. These sorts of battle hungry fiends. These were the sorts of people who thrived in the dark, the sorts of people he'd grown up with.
For only a second as Hansworth watched the man charge, he was back in a ring, a boy of only thirteen forced to fight men five times his size; and stands full of people cheering on the bloody murder. But somewhere behind him this time were weak humans in need of protecting; and the man who'd told him it was possible to use the skills he'd gained in the rings for more; and the man who was willing to dirty his hands for the first time to show Hansworth there was more. There was more to being a warrior than just senseless killing and darkness.
And Hansworth charged in, trusting that his flanks and his back would be protected. He didn't know where he was, but he knew he was there somewhere, and he was not fighting alone anymore.
He was a few steps away when the first impact rocked the charging forces. He didn't stop. He just smiled as even the commander turned back in confusion, then his sword was flying to decapitate him.
Even for such a big man, the commander was fast. At least he was fast enough to only take the hit on a vambranced forearm. The metal broke, and his left forearm bones snapped. Hansworth was just about to finish the screaming man off when a spear shot towards his kidney from the side.
He deflected the thrust, then two more before a dual wielding swordsman stepped in to duel him. Hansworth smiled.
The four men fell in as many seconds, and soon more were dying to protect their commander. The sight of red, and smell of iron and sweat and piss did not make Hansworth nauseous this time.
**************
James fitted another bolt to his crossbow, compressed a wildfire ball at its point, and released. Now the battle was a tad harder to influence than it had been at the beginning.
His first two bolts had killed more than ten men, and injured as many. But now they'd scattered, and it was all he could do to keep them from overwhelming Hansworth.
"Still though, the fool cannot use aura yet, but look how strong he is. I could pit him against a sword master, one who's already mastered his aura, and Hansworth would still hold his own."
He fitted another bolt, but this time had to leave Hansworth to fend for himself. A few men were almost gaining the city.
'But still. I have a bad feeling about how diminished their number looks. What if...? No! There's no need to think in such terms. The kids are safe and thats all that matters.'