Chapter 318 (1/2)

Chapter 318

The night was briskLow-hanging mists had seeped northward froround andon cloudsIt was quiet except for the cry of so of clear-cut forest was just ahead, the round tops of the tree stu stones leading to the still-sleeping village

A strong hand rested on my shoulder, and I turned to ht well, Ellie”

“F-fight well,” I echoed, the trerinned at us all“See you on the other side, aye?”

Tessia gave them a small wave“Whatever happens, remember the plan”

Tessia, Albold, and I stayed where hile the others turned and headed around the village to where the prisoners were being held

We were giving them fifteen minutes before Tessia and Albold launched the attack

Tessia spent the ti her skinShe stripped dozens of tiny twigs from a low branch and rubbed them into her hair, then, with a save herself a tiny cut an inch from her left eye and smeared blood across half her face

I winced as I watched, but the cut healed in secondsThe blood that stained her fair skin reet those twigs out of your hair,” I said with a smirk

“A small price to pay,” she replied with a soft sain?”

I nodded ht and watchOnce I’ve confirnal to the others to h the forest to their locationOnce the prisoners have been freed and everyone has teleported back to the sanctuary, I send you the signal to fall back”

“Perfect,” she said, her expression turning fir, EllieMore than you realize”

I tucked a stray piece of hair back behindback to Tessia only when I’d been able to regain control of h beforea sive you, Tessia”

Our leader’s eyes widened, herwhen Albold stepped into our view

“It’s time,” he muttered, his appearance equally disheveled as Tessia’s

She nodded, then looked at lazed while hera bit crookedly

“Yeah, that’s definitely going to scare so the mask fall for just a second, she reached out and squeezed one, rushi+ng quietly through the forest toward the villageThey had broken free of the treeline and were halfway across the uard noticed theh the silent night, but that was part of the planTessia gave the h tiust of wind hurled hih a nearby ith a crunch

Shouts went up throughout the village as the rest of the guards were alerted

Three, allout between two short buildings and al with my companions

Albold’s boas already up, and, with a guttural roar, he let loose an arrow at the closest AlacryanDozens of s the arrow as they began to spin around the Alacryans

The biggest of the three had icy gauntlets around his huge hands, and he lunged at Albold and threw a punchThe stone plates shi+fted to avoid striking him as they spun round and round

Albold ju toward the Alacryan in an arcOne of the flat stones h it, then through the Alacryan’s outstretched arm

His hoarse scream was cut short an instant later when an arrow struck hi protected by the shi+eld-caster, a broad-shoulderedhis power and hadn’t yet cast a spell

As Tessia began hacking at the spinning disks of stone, thecloud of yellow vapor poured out of hi companion

Layers of mana shi+ainst the caustic cloud, but I could tell the spell ht of it

Tessia spun her swordstaff like the blade of a fan, using it to focus a jet of wind that pushed the gas-spell back over the Alacryan ic, but the one holding up the shi+elds wasn’t

He screaan to run like hot wax, and within lanced away for anot to throw upWhen I looked back, the last e warriors had appeared froht as well have been children with sticks instead of swords

AlareI activated

My senses were instantly overwhelmed with the scent of rot, decay, and deathI spun around, looking for anyone nearby, but Boo and I were alone in the forest

I turnedto made sense of the jumble of shouted orders and questions:

“—fro our men apart!”

“—Bilal! Where is Bilal?”

Then Tessia’s voice boomed over them all“I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you all for what you’ve done to my home! Justice for the elves! For Elenoir!”

She’s overacting a bit, I thought to myselfI could tell by the sudden hush that fell over Eidelholm that it had been effective, however

I reached out to pathis pacingAn aura of black fear envelopedmy insides in an icy fistI couldn’t

The retainer stepped out of the shadows not ten feet froIt was his , even so far away in the safety of the forest

Albold flinched back from him, but Tessia took a confident step toward the retainer, her face twisting into a snarl

“Ohand queen,” Bilal said, quiet andas his eyes probed Tessia up and down“She appears to have gone well and truly , Tessia activated her beast willEht of the retainer’s presence vanished frorowled next toaround Tessia, Albold, and Bilal

Sickly greenblades that dragged across the ground, causing it to sizzle and pop and stink

As Albold nocked an arrow, I found ht ased before I go signal the others

“This willbe interesting, elf,” the retainer said in his harsh, dead voice“I’m quite curious to see what the falorious failure to push back our assault on this land”

Tessia glowered“And I’ve heard the word retainer spoken in fear so anHonestly, I expected soretteOr are you really the best they could do?”

She must’ve struck a nerve with her taunt, because the retainer’s arrogant sneer wrinkled into one of rage

“I’ve earned the title of retainer through rowled“Self-assured stupidity truly is the trademark of you Dicathians, isn’t it?”

Tessia opened her ed forward, theforward until it was several feet longThe sickly green ed, and countered with a swing of her glowing swordstaff

Bilal brought his other toxic blade up in ti a small shockwave from the mere impact

Tessia’s attack had been just a diversion, though, as the earth exploded upward under the retainer’s feet, releasing dozens of thorny erireen energy dispersed around him like a suit of toxic armor that Tessia’s attack couldn’t penetrate

The retainer juth that he broke free of the vines and flew fifteen feet in the airTwo arrows sizzled against the energy shi+eld, then both blades extended again until they were each several feet long, and he plummeted toward Albold

Tessia’s for between the pale Alacryan and AlboldShe swung her swordstaff once more, and it forced Bilal to use both of his

The retainer followed up with a s from underneath her, but the vines pulled her to safety before he could take advantage of the openingWhen he tried to reform his blade, Albold fired at the exposed parts of his body, forcing Bilal to stay on the defensive