James Barclay - Rise of the TaiGethen

Auum jumped again, this time soaring over his Tais, turning a tuck in the air to land behind them and face the enemy. They spilled around the corner. Ulysan barked like a wild dog and six jaqruis howled across the space, downing the front runners, who fell into the feet of those behind them.

Ulysan led a charge into their midst. From an alleyway to their left, Illast’s Tai of Bylaan and Ashocc sprinted into the fray as well, driving into the invaders’ flank. Illast buried a dagger in the face of his first target and heaved him back into the press. A blade in his other hand blocked a strike to his neck and Bylaan’s kick drove the attacker back.

The enemy were maybe two hundred strong, ranks of soldiers defending mages in their midst. The street itself was tight but spells had widened the battle area. Some mages held shields in place while others cast fire and ice ahead and to the right. The noise was deafening, bouncing from the walls of the few buildings still standing. The thunder of spells taking down buildings, the roar of men’s voices and the clash of steel all mixed with the dull thud of blade on leather and flesh.

Ashocc, less than a pace from his target, snapped a kick high into his face. The man toppled like a felled tree. Ashocc ran up his body and jumped high out over the enemy. His blades were at right angles to his body and he twirled them in his hands. He dropped right into the heart of the group of mages.

‘Push!’ yelled Auum.

Ulysan, Acclan and Kepller joined him. The four waded into the enemy. Ulysan knocked a man out with a single punch. Kepller stumbled on his injured leg and Acclan’s blade blocked the blow intended to kill him. Auum knocked a sword blow high with his right blade and thudded his left into his opponent’s chest. He could hear Illast calling Ashocc to clear; instead, Bylaan pushed towards him. Blood spurted high enough for Auum to see it. Mages were dying.

The line moved back as men turned to defend their mages while the men on the flanks continued to move up. Auum pushed back a pace and Ulysan had seen the danger too. He nodded to Auum and headed left. Auum went right, leaving the other two to keep the pressure on the centre.

Auum saw Ashocc’s blade rise and fall and he heard the screech of elven pain too. Spells had stopped falling. He threw a jaqrui right but the blade bounced away. Auum swore; the shield was still intact. On the other side of the fight Illast’s cries were getting desperate, while in the centre Acclan was parrying more than striking in an effort to keep Kepller alive. The injured Tai had abandoned all caution and was forcing his way deeper into the enemy.

Auum hit the right flank. Two soldiers faced him, swords defending their bodies. Auum opened his body and battered his right-hand blade towards the head of the soldier on the left. He spun with the momentum and rammed his left blade backwards into the gut of the other.

Still moving fast, he completed the turn and took off, his body horizontal and spinning up over the defensive line. He pulled his legs under him, reversed the grips on his blades and thudded down in the midst of the enemy. He jerked both blades back, feeling one slide into flesh while the other struck empty space.

Ashocc was in desperate trouble. Bodies of mages and soldiers lay around him but he was beset on all sides. He had cuts to his face and chest and one arm hung useless, the blood from the shoulder wound soaking his jerkin. Bylaan was still too far away to help him.

Auum switched his swords front and chopped overarm, one following the other. He took a soldier through the back, a mage across the face.

‘Bylaan! Get clear!’ Auum called. ‘I’ll get Ashocc.’

Bylaan had heard him. He spun, his blades ahead of him, blocking blows aimed at his head and chest. Ashocc drove out a front kick, knocking an enemy blade aside. His own sword crunched into a mage’s side. Another soldier struck out. Ashocc jumped back but the blade nicked his stomach, biting deep. Blood flowed.

‘Ashocc, turn!’ ordered Auum.

Auum smashed his elbow into the face of an enemy coming up on his right. He powered on through the confused mess. His blades flicked out left, right, high and low, blocking and cutting, beating a path to his brother. Ashocc took another blow on his blade but tripped on a body behind him and fell.

Auum shouldered the last soldier out of his way, dashed a blade into a mage’s ribs and leaned to seize the stricken TaiGethen. Blows came in from both sides and ahead. With his left hand, Auum grabbed Ashocc, trying to haul him upright. With his right, he fended away a strike to his flank. His left foot whipped out, tripping another attacker, balancing with his right. The stink of man and blood was filling his nostrils.

‘Go!’

Ashocc’s feet were back under him and the pair of them struck out. Auum could see Bylaan and Acclan fighting hard, trying to make space. Blows came in again. Auum swayed inside one, seeing the blade strike sparks from the ground. He parried another but a third got through and cut across Ashocc’s face and neck.

Ashocc’s legs gave way but Auum would not let him fall. He heaved the warrior through the enemy line and into a moment’s space.

‘TaiGethen, break and run,’ he shouted.

Illast and Bylaan pushed back against the humans and took Ashocc from Auum. They sprinted away along the street, Ulysan, Acclan and Kepller with them, the latter dragging his leg badly and supported by the others. Arrows began to fly. Spells would soon follow.

Auum ran with Ulysan. Two blocks ahead, more men moved onto the street and closed in fast.

‘Next left, on my mark.’

Arrows fell in front and behind. Auum saw them target those carrying the wounded. Kepller saw it too and pushed his helpers away. Ulysan grasped at him.

‘Space,’ shouted Kepller. ‘I’ll be fine.’

With his next pace, an arrow took him through the eye. He fell dead to the ground. Acclan spat out a curse and made to run to the attack. Ulysan caught him by the arm and dragged him down the left-hand turn. Above, a mage tracked them, too high to shoot down. From the right, poison arrows flew out, driving him higher. Ulysan ducked inside a house, shouldering the door in and running through to the back. He burst into the street and across it into another narrow way.

Castings struck the ground in their wake, sending waves of air across their bodies. One piled into the house, shattering its frame and causing a ripple collapse of others in the terrace.

‘Ulysan, back to the fight,’ said Auum.

He looked back over his shoulder. Illast and Bylaan had stopped to lay Ashocc on the ground. Illast closed Ashocc’s eyes and kissed them before running on, fury in his eyes.

Ulysan led them down a wider street. Men surged past the intersection not thirty paces ahead of them, heading for the first circle, while a few spells flew past overhead. Abruptly, the enemy movement was disrupted. Voices were raised in alarm and weapons were raised high.

Auum saw a TaiGethen in the air, swords held out to either side. Thrynn. She landed in the centre of the enemy. Blood misted. Just like Ashocc only Auum wasn’t going to let this brave elf die. Auum stormed into their right flank, chopping his way towards her. Thrynn’s blades were a blur. Men instinctively made a space around her, bringing them onto the blades of Illast, Bylaan, Acclan and Ulysan instead.

Auum butted the man directly in front of him, splitting his nose at the bridge. The man staggered back, raising his blade over his head only to bury the point in the skull of the soldier behind him. Auum slashed a cut across his throat and fell back, finding himself next to Illast.

Illast blocked a blow aside. A second sword point drew blood down his left arm. Bylaan took the pace from the strike and thumped a punch into the soldier’s mouth. Auum glanced back and thrashed a sword across the chest of a man only half turned in his direction. He kicked another in the groin and followed up with a roundhouse to the temple, knocking him down. He heard Thrynn cry out and moved faster, Ulysan joining him.