“Divide and conquer! Divide and conquer!”

Josh kicked the captured squad leader.

“Hey, sore loser! why don’t you shut up? Hey Luthy, why don’t we put these flower boys in the bath house, so we won’t have to listen to them whine?”

“Okay, you’ll have to guard the hall though. And only Nefri is allowed to call me that, call me Luthial.”

“You haven’t won yet. I’m still holding my sword.”

Josh smirked, “Not much good if you can’t-”

The sharp edge of the leader’s katana sliced through the flower with a piercing crack. He rolled out of his sliced restraints then lunged for Josh, who back stepped as the smoking sword reached for his mouth.

“-swing it,”

The giant purple flower deflated. The leather sheath of the swordsman smoked around a gaping cut. Luthial threw four seeds, but they were sliced in midair; not one seedling sprouted. The swordsman returned her feigned smile.

“Really mercenary? I won’t fall for the same trick twice.”

Luthial thrust her spear at his neck. He dodged the point by leaning to the left. The smoking blade rotated; it sliced through the heavy brass coating of the pole as if it was butter.

“Distract him,” Luthial mouthed.

“You distract him,” Josh rolled up his sleeve, “I’ll take him out.”

“No!” Luthial dodged a swipe of the sword to retrieve the half of her spear that still had a blade. “You don’t know what you’re dealing with. He knows advanced-blade techniques. He’ll kill you!”

“Know? I’m the master. You’ll regret those words when I’m slicing off your limbs.”

Josh threw a ceramic mug from the nearest table.

The swordsman sliced it cleanly through the middle. Luthial slid low. The halves of the mug shattered on the floor as the blunt end of her spear pummeled the swordsman’s gut. He gasped. It slammed him under his chin with enough force to lift him upwards. Before he could land, Luthial slammed his chest, sending him against the large clamshell.

Despite the abuse, the swordsman staggered to recover his footing. Luthial closed in; kicked his sword hand, but despite a pained grimace he didn’t release the weapon. He swung for Luthial’s neck. She bent over backwards to avoid his blade. The swordsman sliced slightly wider than needed, giving Luthial time to execute a back-flip in retreat.

The remains of her spear would never touch him if she didn’t fight close, but she knew he wouldn’t fall for another distraction. Josh tossed her a sword, which she threw at the enemy; her spear was made from a brass far superior to most steel.

“Don’t even try facing him with one of those,” Luthial warned.

“Oh, you refuse battle?” the swordsman smiled at Josh, “Don’t have the guts to face my sword? You need a woman to fight your fights? How about I give you an advantage?”

With one hand, he raised his sword over a dining room table and struck it with the blade. It became wedged in the oak surface.

“Still want to hide behind a woman?”

“Let’s see who’s afraid now,” Josh dashed forward with a descending meteor of a punch.

“No!” Luthial screamed, “It’s a big lie!”

The smoking blade raised above Josh’s head as he closed in with his punch. Luthial jumped to his side and kicked him out of the way. The swordsman redirected his swing for her. There was no time to attack first, no chance to dodge, and blocking it with the shaft of her halved spear would be futile against the piercing-sword technique. The swordsman’s eyes glowed as he sneered. His sword swooped for its prey. Red mist sprayed upwards from her shoulder, yet she caught the blade between her palms before it cut deeply.

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As Luthial wedged the sides of the blade between her palms, the swordsman looked unsteady. She kicked him backwards. He stumbled like a drunk, mumbled, and then charged again. A dried flower crumbled in her palm. As the drowsy swordsman stumbled forward, she dodged to the right and blew flower dust at him. Within a few seconds, he stumbled aimlessly and swung his sword in the air before dropping it. Luthial kicked the sword back toward Josh and used another flower seed to trap him before he fell over in a sound sleep.

The red wet from her sliced left shoulder darkened her red dress all the way down to her hip. Josh turned pale and trembled at the sight of her sprinkling a crushed flower petal over her wound..

“You’re losing blood. We better do something.”

“There’s no time. If these men are this skilled, I have a bad feeling about Nefri. I have to help her, you stay here.”

“Hey! Look at yourself! You’re dripping on the floor!”

“I’ve suffered worse and come through without a scar. Don’t underestimate my healing ability. There’s no telling what might happen if you stray too far. Guard these prisoners and keeping the inn safe. If anyone wakes up, punch their lights out.”

“Guard the base,” Josh made a fist, “Yeah, you know it. You can count on me.”

Luthial was gone before he finished speaking.

----------------------------------------

The lone guard at Lord Nostrum’s front door raised his spear.

“You’re forbidden from this place. Turn back or I’ll arrest you. And you won’t be freed so quickly this time.”

Nadia glared. The guard glared back. A slight glow appeared in her eyes. He turned pale and sweaty as he backed away. Then he threw down his spear and ran across the yard screaming ‘witch!’ as Nadia entered the household. At the base of the steps, Bradox supported himself with a long wooden staff and refused to move.

“Lord Nostrum will see you dead if you go any further. Is this about the event in the bath house two days ago? Well, I have no idea how that bead got in your bath salts. You would need to speak with the merchant who sold them to me.”

“I didn’t say anything about the bath powder. How would you? So, it was you! Well, I don’t care! This is about what you’re doing to Mardela. I’m not going to let you keep hurting her. I want you to free her and I’m only going to ask once.”

“Watch your tongue! I’ve learned a great deal of your secrets while you were fighting my powers young lady, or should I say young man?”

“What’s the matter? Didn’t you know that Mardela is so weak she’s no longer any hindrance to dealing with you? You may consider what I’m about to do a high honor, because I’ll permanently lose some of my powers for it. In exchange, your ego will be erased. I’m going to make you my servile little apprentice. You’ll be powerless to resist even my most subdued suggestion.”

Bradox raised his staff.

Nadia envisioned a venemous snake slitering from the tip. It struck her. It coiled around her aura. Ethereal teeth bit into her spirit. She braced herself. A haunting darkness invaded her mind; she felt it filling her head. It crushed her thoughts before pushing against the base of her skull.

The wizard couldn't move while casting this spell, but she couldn't move in her efforts to block it. She concentrated her abilities into the depths of her mind as Bradox continued to inject an ethereal venom. Personality subdued. Fears multiplied. Compulsive obedience implanted. Memories and knowledge compressed into a tightly wound ball. Even her taste in food shifted.

The venom diverted into something superficial. Nadia pressed her palms to the sides of her head as Bradox breathed heavily. Now he was trying to absorb her will. The snake drank deeply as the pendant glowed. Nadia tightly packed her aura like a constricted spring. The depths of her mind overflowed with compressed power.

Once enough poison had been injected, Nadia's compressed energy snapped outwards. The snake disintigrated as the force catapulted back to Bradox. It appeared he had been struck in the face as he rolled over the railing with a shout. Knee cracked as he fell. He grabbed his leg around the injury with a shrill cry.

Nadia, disorriented, felt much venom pulsing through her aura. She knelt by the wizard's side without knowing why. A hand went over his knee with a gentle blue glow. He pushed himself to sit up and stared at her, but she stopped suddenly. She shook her head, stood up, and skipped up the steps.

The staff, he grabbed his staff. The first attack had not left her undamaged! His spiritual poisons were trying to take hold. Bradox concentrated to infiltrate her mind again. A defensive aura repulsed his powers. This pain in his knee destroyed his concentration. He wrapped a dark force around his leg before limping away.

As he limped away, the force Nadia catapulted into his mind tore at his own will. Bradox felt his head pulse as he struggled to walk. The poison he'd cast on Nadia had come back to him. He needed to find a place to lick his wounds and come back stronger. The only solace he found was that Nadia might die dispelling the poisons he had cultivated within Mardela.

A beak nose and the wide grin of an impish man met him as he hobbled to theedge of the lawn. Groli glared down upon the wizard from the perch of Lobars's bald head.

“You’re with the force Lord Sarsin sent then? Good. Help me deal with that witch. You’ll be well compensated.”

“Old wizard Bradox of the poison leaf. You don’t look so well. I have a message from Lord Sarsin: You are a thieving, backstabbing, fork tongued, two-faced wizard who dares to blackmail your Lord. Your services are no longer required.”

Bradox raised his staff as Lobar charged.