Naereni

My dagger cut deeply into the side of the water mage’s abdomen, spraying blood and making her scream in fear and pain. Before she could locate me, I slipped back into the mist, letting it obscure my position and hide me from her watching eyes.

“No!” the mage screamed, no small amount of terror in her voice. Her shield of ice was tough: I could only break through it in the weaker links of her armor, but those took time and precision to target. Which was why I was strafing her constantly, jumping in when her back was turned to carve more and more cuts.

Most of the other mages had been taken down swiftly by Hofal and me, but there were a couple of stragglers that held on longer than I would’ve liked. After Karsien, Wade, and I met up with Hofal after destroying the warehouses, he told us about our newest member’s brash rush to the distillery.

It would be nice if Karsien would’ve actually helped, I thought with irritation. The man had broken off from the group shortly after Hofal told us about Toren’s stupid idea. I could understand Wade keeping to the sidelines: he wasn’t a combat mage. But Toren should’ve thought this through! Rushing in alone?

Though it seemed his hunch was correct, I thought with a shiver, but not from the cold around me. I’d seen the plume of that explosion from several blocks away. The young striker had been surrounded and getting the beatdown of his life when we’d finally intervened. The implications of that were clear: the Joans were waiting for us.

The brown-haired shield waved her wand frantically, calling up another shell of ice. This time it covered her in a dome, keeping her sealed off from the rest of the battle.

I huffed in the shadows, spinning my knife in my hand. That would be irritating to break through. I could wait for the woman to collapse from her wounds, but I didn’t know if there would be enough time for that.

A wall of earth erupted from nearby, rising ten feet in the air. It was covered in intricate arches and detail, making the otherwise bland slab of rock an artful brick. It rose above the mist, punching through like a spike. Then it began to shift, falling forward toward the dome of ice.

Hofal, you just saved me a lot of time, I thought wryly as the slab of earth impacted the dome. The ice shattered, blown apart by the force of a ton of stone. Not wasting the opening I was given, I funneled more mana through my crest, enhancing my speed and driving me forward. The mist was starting to dissipate; Karsien’s spell had lasted longer than expected.

The water shield turned as I jumped over wayward chunks of ice and stone, weaving with my enhanced sense of balance. Her face was a mask of shock and her arms visibly shook from exhaustion. Before she could respond to my assault, however, my ice-coated fist impacted her temple, causing her to crumple where she stood.

I skidded to a halt, turning on my feet to meet Hofal’s gaze. He had a few cuts over his body, but the middle-aged man looked fine. “Was that the last of them?” I asked him.

“Pretty sure it was, except for that lightning woman,” the man said, fumbling in his pockets for a cigar. He really needed to break that habit. “Toren’s probably gonna need our help, though.”

I remembered the flash of speed and power Toren had displayed as he rushed the woman cloaked in electricity. In the brief instances I’d caught sight of his battle before they left the mist, he’d been fighting with a jaw-dropping level of precision and force. The woman had been doing all she could just to hold on.

“Are you sure about that?” I asked, letting my ice weapons dissolve. “It looked like he had everything handled. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a mage move so fast.”

Hofal lit up his cigar, then moved toward the edge of the mist. “I should’ve kept trying to follow him here,” the old shield said, a bit of regret in his tone. “Toren said something was off, and I sensed it too. But I couldn’t keep up with him.”

I followed after at a light jog, conserving what mana I had left. “He should’ve stayed with you. He had his orders,” I replied, more than a bit annoyed at our newest member’s reckless actions. That was my job. “I don’t think that explosion was the distillery, though.”

“It couldn’t have been,” Hofal replied as we exited the mist.

The sight that revealed itself to us made me freeze. There was a body lying in a pool of blood, still in death. From the distance I was at, I couldn’t make out much of the corpse except it was clothed all in black.

Toren?! I thought with a spike of worry. Had we been too late?

But what I noticed next caused my anxiety to ratchet up another notch. No, the body wasn’t Toren’s. Those were the remains of the lightning striker.

Another man held Toren’s unconscious body slung over his shoulder. It was covered in bruises and blood, and a vivid tattoo of chains wound up along Toren’s left arm. It dangled limply, but a slight rise and fall of his chest told me he was still breathing.

Is that why he keeps it covered? A subconscious part of me wondered. To hide the tattoo?

I immediately summoned my ice daggers again, getting ready to rush this man. A few beasts made entirely of fire circled him like predators, causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end. “You!” I called. “Put the body down, and I might leave your face intact!”

The man slowly turned to face me, revealing a mop of sandy blonde hair and piercing gray eyes. A leisurely smile adorned his face, which made me feel extremely uneasy.

Hofal moved in beside me, but he didn’t raise his weapons. Something was off about the movement. Under Hofal’s mask, his eyes were wide. “Flint?!” he said, surprise in his voice. “What are you doing here?”

The man cocked his head, looking Hofal up and down. “Ah, Hofal, was it? I remember you. I should’ve guessed you were with these fools.”

The way he said the word fools caused me to shift. Hofal seemed to know the man: was he an enemy? He was holding Toren’s body, though.

“The last time I saw you was in the Relictombs,” Hofal said slowly, tightening his grip on his axe and shield. “What are you doing here?”

The catlike beasts of fire started to fan out after that question. Hofal finally settled into a combat stance, wary of their attack.

“Tell me, how’s Karsien doing these days?” the man asked, ignoring Hofal’s earlier question and stalking to the side. Toren was still limp on his shoulder.

“Put down the kid and I might tell you,” Hofal replied. “For old ascending partner’s sakes.”

The man snickered. “He didn’t tell you, did he? About what happened that day?”

I shifted nervously. I didn’t know what Hofal and the man–Flint– were talking about, but Toren was my priority. I couldn’t risk attacking while Flint held him, though. I’d have to make an opening somehow.

Hofal went stiff. “What do you mean, Flint?”

The man shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. When you see that Rat again, tell him Dornar Joan sends his regards,” he said, turning around with a smile. “Or maybe I’ll tell him myself when we meet again.”

Then a form blurred from the alleyway toward Flint. They leveraged a shortsword, swinging it at Flint’s legs. The man danced backward, surprisingly graceful while carrying a body on one shoulder.

A clone coalesced next to Karsien’s body, launching itself to continue the attack. One of the catlike fire beasts lunged to intercept, then glowed an ominous orange. It burst apart in an explosion, wiping both it and the clone away in a burst of steam.”

“I’m right here, Dornar,” Karsien said, his normal guile in place. “And I think you’re going to put that boy down and have a nice reunion with me. We can talk about old times!”

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“No can do, Kars,” Flint said mockingly, another feline of fire shimmering into existence to replace the one he’d lost. “I get that you’ve been dying to meet me again, but I’ll get to you eventually. The boss man wants this boy, and you’re not part of the deal yet.”

Karsien didn’t exchange another quip, rushing Flint as he threw out his mist spell. Their fight resumed inside the sense-dampening fog.

I started to rush forward, intent on helping my teacher. I didn’t know much about that Flint man, but I wouldn’t let Karsien fight alone.

A firm grip on my shoulder stopped me. I turned around, surprised to see Hofal there.

“You can’t go alone,” he said, stepping forward. “Flint is dangerous, Naereni. In a way you wouldn’t believe. We went on a few ascents together: him, Karsien, and me. He’s unpredictable.”

I nodded, a bit disturbed by Hofal’s seriousness. He was usually laid back, always ready to offer advice or a shoulder to lean on. But now, I could see a spark of the ascender he used to be shining through, scanning over a threat and determining its weaknesses.

Before the two of us could step forward, however, a burst of wind blew away the fog. I covered my eyes with my forearm, digging my boots into the ground so I wouldn’t be pushed off balance.

When the gale died down, Karsien’s mist had been blown away. Flint was covered in tiny cuts, some of them leaking a bit of blood. Despite the injuries, he was smiling. Toren was still over his shoulder.

Karsien himself stood near the edge of a building, staring harshly at the man. He looked none the worse for wear, but something about Flint made me uneasy. I moved to stand next to my leader.

“Poison, Kars? Really?” Flint asked, inspecting one of the cuts on his arm. “I expected better than that.”

“It’s truly unfortunate, Dornar, but you’ll be dead in fifteen minutes,” Karsien said, but his usual charm was laced with something more angry. “I hope you’ve written your will. Dotted your I’s and crossed your t’s, because you’ll be meeting with the High Sovereign soon.” Karsien flourished his shortsword. “I’ve waited too long for this.”

“If only it was so simple,” Flint sighed. “You should know a poison that weak won’t affect me in the slightest. You should’ve used something with more kick. Try Hades Serpent venom, maybe! I haven’t built an immunity to that yet. But while I would love to stay and chat about how you discovered my identity, I’m afraid I’ll have to leave you here. You’re going to have to wait a bit longer, old pal.”

“You’re not going anywhere,” I said, tightening my grip on my daggers. If what Karsien said was true, then we’d be able to get Toren back soon. Flint, who was apparently Dornar Joan, implied he was immune to poison, but he was also running. That couldn’t be the full story.

The man shook his head. “So impatient. If you want a boy to save, then I’ll happily provide you with another option.”

Something bright moved on a nearby rooftop, drawing my eye.

I gasped as it revealed itself. One of the feline fire constructs was there, perched on the edge of the rooftop. It held its jaw over the edge, staring down at us emptily.

And in its mouth was Wade. He was battered and bruised, and somehow he’d lost his glasses. He was being held by the back of his coat, which somehow wasn’t burning from the fiery jaws that held it fast. He was clearly unconscious.

My heart shuddered.

“You’ll have to choose one,” I heard Flint say, though it was distant. “I’m sure you’ll make a wise decision, Kars. You always were able to choose the greater good.”

I took a step toward the building Wade was being dangled over, mana filtering to my crest to help me move. I could catch him if I was fast enough. I could do it. I needed to do it.

The creature’s grip loosened slightly, causing Wade to slip down a bit. “Nah, ah ah!” Flint said, causing my head to snap to him. “While I applaud your decision-making skills, young lady, you’ll have to wait a minute!”

The tension rose as I glared at the man. He’d found Wade somehow and hurt him. That alone made a vicious hate gnaw at my insides.

I spared a glance at Karsien. I couldn’t see under his mask, but there was clear conflict warring in his stance. He wanted to rush Flint and rip out his throat, but that would endanger Wade. I felt the selfish urge to tell Karsien to back off. If he did, maybe Wade would be let free.

Flint turned on his heel, Toren’s body still slung over his shoulder. I felt a wave of guilt as I realized I’d subconsciously prioritized Wade over Toren, but that was quickly consumed by my worry and fear once again.

Karsien watched the man go, standing ramrod straight and his teeth gnashing almost audibly. Flint’s footsteps sounded dreadfully loud in the quiet night, the soles of his boots echoing on stone. When Flint turned a corner out of sight, I dashed to the side.

The fire construct several stories up finally dissipated, its connection to its master weakened by the distance. As the jaws holding Wade quickly dispersed, he began to fall.

Come on, come on! I pumped my legs, using all the mana I had left to power my crest.

I slid on my knees, conjuring ice under them to allow me to slide better. I held out my arms, catching the young sentry just in time. I skidded into the wall, impacting my shoulder with a grunt, but Wade was safe in my arms.

I checked him over with frantic eyes, noting the bruises along his face and body. I didn’t know where his glasses had gone. His eyes fluttered slightly.

He shifted slightly in my arms. “Naereni?” he said in a slurred voice.

“Yeah?” I said, feeling a lump in my throat.

“You’re cold,” he said, clearly still dazed from being knocked out.

“Shut up,” I replied, hugging him closer.

“They knew we’d attack,” Wade said, slightly slurring his speech. “He was waiting for me. Same man who went to the meetings.” Was the damage worse than I thought? I quickly ran a hand over his head, checking for a bump or something. He pushed my arms away, then tried to stand. I reluctantly let him go, missing the warmth of his body. “Dornar. Dornar Joan somehow figured out he was being spied on.”

He managed to get his feet under him, though not without some help. “They tricked us,” he said, his words coming more clearly. His eyes were coming back into focus, though he wouldn’t be able to see well without his glasses. “They set a trap over here, rigging a bomb to blow. My rats heard about it as I got here, but Toren tripped the fuse before we all could get close.”

I put the puzzle pieces together at last. “I wouldn’t have survived that blast,” I said numbly. “Only Toren could’ve gotten away unscathed.”

Or maybe Karsien. But by springing the trap early, Toren might’ve saved all of our lives.

“We let him get captured,” I said with horror. “He was taken away by that Flint!”

Karsien turned on his feet, glaring at a nearby alleyway. “Come out already,” he said with restrained calm. “I can sense you there, you know. While I indulge in voyeurism every now and then, it’s poor form to do it with all your friends involved.”

Several mages stepped from the shadows. I had been so distracted by Wade’s conundrum that I hadn’t even noticed their presence, but Karsien had.

At their front was an older man, his dark hair streaked with gray. He was slightly short and wore loose-fitting battlerobes. In his hand was a staff that swirled with mana, though it looked like a passive effect rather than a charged spell.

Behind him was a man in full armor, standing resolutely with a spear held against his shoulder. That one had the easy confidence of a leader, which made me surprised he wasn’t in the front.

Five other mages were arrayed behind them, including one who looked incredibly disgruntled. If these people were all combat mages, they had twice our number, and both Hofal and I were slightly tired from our last fight.

“Hello,” the lead mage said. “I assume you’re the one they call the Rat?”

Karsien shifted his stance, preparing to face these new men. Were they enemies? Usually, when we were identified, we were attacked first. “I have the pleasure of going by that moniker,” Karsien replied, bowing slightly. “Unfortunately, I don’t have yours.”

The mage looked past Karsien at Hofal, Wade, and me. “My name is Aban,” he said. “It’s probably not relevant to you at all, but I’ve learned it’s always best to introduce yourself when there’s a chance of danger.” He gestured behind him. “My compatriots and I all have a common goal in mind.”

“You’re right to think we’re dangerous,” I said, shifting to stand in front of Wade. The young man looked really confused.

“It’s not you that I fear,” Aban replied, looking at me pointedly. “But Blood Joan.”

That took me aback. “What?”

Wade peeked out from my side. “Aban the Clarwood Guide?” he said, peering in the man’s general direction.

He appeared surprised by Wade calling him out. “You know me?”

Wade squinted. “You’ve got the record for most successful expeditions into the Clarwood Forest, as well as having a very cheap price to hire. You’re kind of famous here.”

I’d never heard of him, I thought a bit sourly. Wade read too many books.

“Well, I’m flattered you’ve heard of me,” he said, brushing back his hair. “But we’ve got more important things to discuss.”

“Blood Joan,” Karsien said, shifting to stand in front of our group. “You want to take them down.”

Aban shook his head. “Not exactly,” he said. “You see, we owe a debt,” he said, gesturing to the men behind him, “To Toren of Named Blood Daen. For all that I am famous for my expeditions, young mage, I would have perished in that forest if not for the actions of ‘Dusk.’”

“He saved my life,” the spearman behind Aban said. “I was poisoned. He helped me fight it off and get me out of that forest, even though I was only dead weight.”

I blinked, exchanging a look with Wade. Or at least we tried to. It was hard when he couldn’t see a foot in front of his face.

“The point being, Company of the Rat,” Aban said, gesturing to the five mages behind him, “Is that we got here too late. But with a few extra hands…”

Karsien considered for a moment, then opened his mouth to reply.