Elfsorrow

'Sure?' asked Darrick.

'Trust me on this. Focussed Orbs, Erie

'With you,' said Erie

Hirad watched the enemy come in, remembering he'd seen the advance pattern before. Two ahead of a third, six of the trios, well spaced and ru

'Mage-defenders,' he said. 'But not with Protectors. Just swordsmen. '

'Ren, look for the mages. We can handle the blades,' said The Unknown.

The FlameOrbs splashed down, fizzing over the shield and scorching into the ground around them. Simultaneously, DeathHail pattered against its edge, the razor-sharp mana ice shards bouncing and shattering as they struck.

'Holding,' said Ilkar. 'No problem.'

And, thought Hirad, their own spells were keeping their Familiars away. He could see them wheeling above, looking for the next opening.

The Xeteskian swordsmen attacked, ru

The first thrust came in low, Hirad sweeping his sword left to right to knock it away. He ducked as the second whipped by above his head but he was ready, thrashing his blade up as he stood, catching the man on the hinge of his jaws and shearing into his face. He screamed and fell, Hirad swinging quickly to face his second attacker. He was quick, his blade already cocked to strike. But as he stepped in to deliver, Aeb's axe split his skull wide open.

'Talking, Raven!' shouted Hirad, looking out.

'Orbs away.'

Balls of mana flame the size of apples shot out in lines from the centre of the Raven group. They fired into the sky and Hirad heard a screech as at least one found its target. The screech was accompanied by a howl from ahead of him and a mage crumpled to the ground, holding his head.

'One surviving,' shouted Denser over the clash of steel and the grunts of the fight.

Next to Hirad, Aeb had pulled his axe out of the Xeteskian he'd killed and used it to bat away a tentative strike. His sword came through straight afterwards, a massive strike taking the head clean off the same man. The body crumpled.

Around the other side, Darrick was trading blows with a pair of good swordsmen, blade and dagger in his hands. He had a cut on one arm but was holding his own. An arrow whipped out and took one of them from the game. Darrick muttered his thanks, pressed his attack, caught a blow on the hilt of his dagger and stabbed forward into the throat of his opponent.

'Go Raven, we're taking them!'

And then the third Familiar came in from nowhere. Dropping straight onto Denser's head, it jammed its claws through his skullcap and bit down on his shoulder. Denser cried out, tripped and fell into Ilkar who, taken completely by surprise, stumbled into Hirad's back.

'Shield down! Shield down!'

And more spells were coming in. FlameOrbs.

'Scatter Raven!' roared Hirad, picking Ilkar up and moving dead ahead at speed, heaving his sword into the legs of an attacker.

Order dissolved into chaos. Aeb turned and dived for Denser and Erie

The Orbs splashed down just beyond the fire. Denser, the Familiar shouting curses into his ear and dragging its talons down his face, was covered by the body of Aeb. Erie

Denser grabbed at the Familiar, rolling aside to let Erie

And then, incredibly, Aeb was there. Bare-chested, his axe in one burned hand, his other reached down to grab the Familiar at the back of the head and wrench it clear. Denser felt the talons gouging at him as it was torn free and heard Erie

'Aeb, hold it still, keep it still.'

Denser looked round, wiped a film of blood from his eyes and saw Aeb holding the Familiar at arm's length while it boiled and heaved in its desperation, calling for its master.

'Too late, you little shit,' said Erie

Aeb threw the body away, helped Denser to his feet and ran back into the battle, the Raven mages right behind him.

The Unknown saw a mage crumple ahead of him in the act of casting another spell and breathed a sigh of relief. He charged into the swordsmen defending him, delivering his sword overhead and through the shoulder of an unprepared man, rotating on his weaker left leg and kicking into the stomach of the other.

Pain from the old injury flared briefly and he landed unbalanced, barely getting his sword up to block. The Xeteskian was good and quick, moving to The Unknown's left, seeing it was his weaker side and forcing the attack. The Unknown fielded blows on dagger and sword, looking for an opportunity, but didn't need it. An arrow took the man clean through the neck as he backed off to compose himself and Ren ran past, nocking another.

The Unknown turned, searching through the dark for The Raven. Hirad and Darrick were together, Ilkar behind them, casting again. They were facing three swordsmen and a mage. The Unknown watched as Darrick disarmed one of them, disembowelling him with the return strike. Hirad leaned in and headbutted his nearest opponent, following up with a punch to the nose and his sword across the man's chest. He turned far more quickly than the third man was expecting, switched his sword to his left hand and jabbed it forward, slicing through his neck. The two Raven men advanced on the doomed mage.

The Unknown ran back towards the fire and Aeb. The Protector, with Denser and Erie

It was over. Hirad and Darrick quartered the field checking the bodies of the Xeteskians, quick thrusts killing those that still breathed. Aeb, at Denser's instructions, came back to the fire. The Unknown followed them, as did Ren and Thraun.

They had been lucky. Very lucky. The Unknown wanted to know how they had been found and attacked so easily and there, still trapped beneath a log by the fire, was the route to the answers. Damaged by FlameOrbs but still spitting and cursing was the surviving Familiar.

The Raven gathered around it.

'See to Aeb, will you?' said The Unknown to Denser. 'I'll ask this some questions.'

'His master is dead,' said Denser. 'He's fading but still dangerous. Don't let him up.'