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Jared heardin the land die as it exploded and burned He couldn’t extend his shields to surround their little group because he didn’t knohere the others were, didn’t knohere Lia was a boulders There was soaround theh a psychic link yielded nothing

A blast of power co him down Momentarily stunned, Jared felt the Red shield across the track break

He created another a few yards in front of him

"Give it up," one of the marauders yelled when he reached the new shield "You can’t win against us, slave Give it up!"

"When the sun shines in Hell," Jaredthe boulders that had fallen into the track, constantly extending the shields as he continued to work his way to the burning wagon and the section of the road where he’d seen the others run for cover

Blast after blast rocked the shields Jared continued to unleash short bursts of power to break through personal shields and inner barriers, but for every marauder who fell, two more took his place

Two bursts of poere unleashed on the road directly in front of hi hie of the newly , he rubbed his eyes to clear away the tears and dirt and didn’t see the rabbed him and hauled him behind some boulders

A Purple Dusk shield formed a dome around them and the boulders in front of theht better than you do," Randolf growled, crouching beside Jared

Resisting the urge to ram a fist into Randolf’s face Jared snapped "‘I was never trained for this"

"Neither was she, but she knows enough not to be polite or dainty about it," Randolf snapped back "You’re wasting our best weapon"

Refusing to respond, Jared started to extend the shield on his side of the road and hit a Green shield that returned the contact with enough punch tohad run up his spine and scorched his lungs

Jared shook his head to clear it and tried to convince his chest to expand enough so that he could try to breathe

"Told you she fights better than you," Randolf said

Marauders dashed a the boulders on the other side of the track Collisions of psychic power caused the energy to veer off in all directions, striking wildly

A woe

Athe boulders, a child screamed in terror

That scream chilled Jared He turned to Randolf "What’s our best weapon?"

"Your Red Jewels," Randolf said abruptly Shoving Jared closer to the ground, he raised his right hand, which noore a Purple Dusk ring, and unleashed fast arrow bolts of power

Pushing against Randolfs restraining left hand, Jared raised his head high enough to see ato crawl back between the shattered boulders and the botto

Randolf waited until the ain, severing the other leg just above the knee

Jared stared at the Warlord guard Crouching coaze

"You did exactly what they counted on you doing," Randolf said quietly "You threw your strength into defending instead of fighting If I were up there, I would have ganored the question "They’ve throice asdown the rest of us because they want to eli our Ladies to show so ot the numbers to pull the rest of us down and take whatever they’ve come to take"

Randolf didn’t need to say the obvious There was only one person--now, maybe tas worth this much effort and this kind of cost

"You defend well, Warlord," Randolf said "Now it’s ti the boulders aren’t resting,Warlord ," Jared replied, feeling foolishly like an adolescent who’d just had an older male dismiss his efforts as barely adequate