The Time Before

Trengin : First fight back

Chapter 9: First fight back

Roah dropped his hands back down again and looked at Srune. I saw the importance of maintaining our surprise but I wasn't going to let the Captain see us simply allow his men to die.

My hands continued moving in a simplier gesture, my gaze now directed at the men below the fireball. I cast it out and pulled my arms outwards. In the distance man and horse alike were thrown sideways by the walls I had cast. Seconds later the fireball crashed into the now empty grass.

I spun round to Srune who was talking urgently with the Captain. I saw him cast something and suddenly the Captain's voice boomed out over the noise of the soldiers.

"SIT 100*: SEMPA ATTACK POSITIONS, ENGAGE ENEMY AT WILL"

I was pleased to see that despite the shock at hearing their Captain's voice so loudly, thry were still quick to react. Within a few seconds a storm of arrows flew into the air, following the reverse path of the fireball. They pounding into the fringe of the woodland where it had originated. shreading lead and bush.

"Trengin, we need to take some of them out now so the Captain can announce us to his troop. Can you seek them?"

I winced at the idea of seeking in such a distracted situation but nodded grimly. A roar behind me announced the retaliation of the Sempa. Three more fireballs rose up from further along the edge of the woodland.

The archers were much faster and before the fireballs had reached halfway they had fired. This time though the arrows flickered and burnt, turning to ash in seconds.

"TRENGIN SEEK NOW," Srune all but screamed.

Ignoring the fireballs I closed my eyes and tried to find my focus. Clutching at it I threw my presence out across the field. The fireballs hadn't moved much. I made it to the woodland edge and felt for a presence. There, moving back to where they'd fired the first fireball. Six of them, still unshielded.

My eyes opened and I shuddered slightly to be back within the confines of my body. It passed as quickly as usual and I watched as Roah and Srune replicated my original plan of moving the soldiers away rather than so clearly displaying our presence.

Srune turned back to me.

"There's six of them, moving back to the original position, and still unshielded. They either don't know we are here or are woefully arrogant."

Srune nodded.

"I have an idea," I said. He must have seen something in my eyes because he asked no questions but just nodded again.

"Be ready to shield as many people as you can, this is likely to annoy them," I added.

A final nod and I moved in front to see my target. Srune and Roah immediately flanked me. Five fireballs rose up from the woodlands again, now a deep red in colour to appear more dangerous. This time the soldiers would have to fend for themselves. It was time to let the Sempa know we were here.

I closed my eyes again, although only to help concentration than through any specific need. My hands began the long series of gestures that I'm sure no other mage had ever seen before. Living in my forest for so long had offered me much time for experimentation and I had had little else to practice on but the trees themselves.

As I completed the first rune I sent it out and immediately felt myself connected with the living essence of the trees. A thousand voices sang to me of the air and earth. I slightly lost myself in the hauntingly beautiful sound but kept hold through long experience.

I completed the second and sent it out. The song became lounder as the essence began to surrender to my control. Again I battled not to lose myself in the sound, using my magic to exert control.

Screams erupted around me as the fireballs hit their target for the first time. As I began the third part of the spell I peeked my eyes open and saw that Roah was staring at my hands in amazement despite the carnage around him. Inwardly I smiled. He'd seen nothing yet.

I flung out the final rune and felt the moulding begin. Immediately I sent my sight out again to witness and finetune the result. My vision flew to the treeline and quickly found the group of Sempa. They were grinning and laughing, pointing to the distant soldiers. One flicked a wrist and I knew another hail of arrows had turned to dust.

With a clear view of my targets I activated my control and mentally snatched the closest mage. A tree branch next to his head shot downwards at my command and collided with his head in an instant.

His body collapsed as his head caved-in but I didn't waste time watching his death. Another tree swiped a low branch sideways at impossible speed decapitating a Sempa who had just turned around to witness his companion's death.

The four remaining mages reacted, and hands flew in a blur as they attempted to shield themselves from the unknown attack. As their shield shimmered into view one mage stumbled backwards over a root that shot up from the ground and I took this chance to even the odds.

A frantic extra gesture from myself boosted my control and two trees struck out simultaneously at the falling mage. The first hit heavily on the edge of the shield causing the other mages to wince at the sudden impact and distracting them long enough to allow the second tree to squash its victim into the ground. Roots twisted over the bodies like worms as they dragged them into the soil. Within a few seconds all three dead mages had disappeared and the remaining Sempa stared at the trees from behind their shield in horror.

I used the last of my control to strike pointlessly at the shield, but they didn't wince this time. One, who seemed to be more composed than the others (probably the squadleader) raised his hands and the offending tree exploded.

I felt the pain leach into my mind. The song turned to the anguish of a thousand connected lives feeling the loss of a brother. With a final effort I severed my connection, returned to my body and opened my eyes.

Srune's eyes pierced mine as I gained awareness again.

"What, by all the Gods, did you just do?"

I looked about. We were clear of anyone for a good twenty meters all around, the grass scorched to the edge. Soldiers stared at us in a mixture of awe and fear. The Captain stood at the edge also looking disturbed. I turned to Roah who just stared in fascination.

"We had to shield ourselves from you, I've never seen so much power handled by one mage."

I gathered my wits and grinned.

"I took three of them out. There's three more, shielded, but I scared them good."

Srune's mouth fell open, but he quickly composed himself.

"Ok, no more hiding then. Let's get this over and done with. Three on three is odds I'm happy with and we have an army on our side as well."

He moved over to the Captain and once again his voice boomed out.

"SIX SEMPA ATTACKED, NOW THERE ARE ONLY THREE. WE HAVE MAGES ON OUR SIDE AND WE CAN SURVIVE THIS. OFFICERS RALLY TO ME."

Officers seemed to spring from nowhere and the Captain busied himself doing what he did best. By the time Srune had returned to us they had disappeared to follow his orders.

"Ok - like we planned then. Let's finish this," Srune said with a grim smile. Despite the success so far, more men would die this day.

Roah's arms moved in mirror image to Srune's and a glimmering shield appeared over our head. Rather than the usual dome like shield it stretched out like a protective sheet. Without the need for a wall shield from physical attacks like arrows from the Sempa it allowed us to cast two shields instead. It stretched for nearly thirty metres in every direction.

At their officer's encouragement a unit of troops circled us, some happy to be under the protective shield, but most nervous at being so near magic users. Trust would have to be hard earnt with some.

Once ringed we moved forward closer to the Sempa for a more direct assault. The air was littered with arrows as wave after wave were fired into the trees. Every now and then a small patch of them would disintigrate but nothing else.

We hadn't moved much further than a few steps when shouts around us indicated the Sempa had emerged. Looking down from the slight height advantage we had I could see them walk out almost casually in a classic protective huddle. Arrows burst into flame at contact with their walls and shield.

Suddenly flames erupted from both sides and brave soldiers that had run towards them were instantly incinerated.

Srune's palm was thrown forward and a bright arc of blue light flew from him, leaving behind a glittering trail. Faster than an arrow it streaked into the Sempa's shield and struck in a dazzling explosion. The light faded showing no discernable difference to the Sempa but soldiers all around us immediately cheered at the first clear display of magic on their side.

All three Sempa released runes and lightning shot down in a dozen places across the clearing. Death screams replaced the cheers and suddenly battle was on us. Roah cast out his palm and two retalitory lightning bolts struck the shield of the Sempa at the same time as another burst of blue light left Srune. I saw to my right that a group of cavalry had managed to ride around the clearing and were now approaching them from slightly behind, heavy spears ready to be thrown. One of the Sempa, the tallest of the three, noticed them and turned around, bringing hands up ready to strike.

I motioned to Srune and he nodded quickly in understanding. The cavalry as one threw their spears and they shot towards the Sempa. We released a spell and the spears sped up, burning towards their target like shooting stars. As the cavalry peeled away from their charge the Sempa released his attack. Half of them erupted in flames as the spears hit the shield. This time there was some reaction, all three mages fell to the ground under the impact. The distraction caused the shield to waver and the final spear fell through and struck the tall Sempa through the middle. As the other two came to their feet and re-established the shield he stayed on the ground and quickly lay still.

Srune recognised the right moment and gestured towards the Captain. On cue he bellowed out an order that, once again, all could hear.

"CHARGE"

The entire field shook as every last soldier screamed a battle cry and charged at the remaining two Sempa. Roah and I released large fireballs that arced over the top of the mass of running men and smashed into the shield. Srune quickly followed up with twin lightning bolts.

As the first soldiers reached the shield and started ineffectively swiping at it with their swords the squadleader snarled and cast his palm out. A line of flames rose up around them and moved outwards in a semi-circle. As soon as a way back to the woodlands opened up the pair of Sempa dashed off with the soliders unable to persue through the wall of fire.

With a curt command from Srune the soliders around us moved forwards and we got close enough to counter the firewall but by the time it hissed out under our magical onslaught there was no sign of the Sempa. I closed my eyes one more time and quickly found them fleeing.

A concussion to the air and my vision went black.

*Sit 100 specifies a non-standard attack, which amongst other things will prevent the distruction of the caravan.