-- James --

Tired, wet, and wind pelting us, drying us out as we dove down the road with our pursuers hot on our tail. At least three different vehicles decked out in armor were chasing after us, and we could only keep so far ahead. I think if it wasn't for the weight of the armor they would have caught us already. I was trying to find a route that we might be able to lose them, but I knew there wouldn't be anything until the road ended, and that wouldn't be for a while.

"Bay are they in range for you?" I yelled back.

I didn't hear the spell but Bay launch an ice spike at the cars it not reaching the cars at all. Though when they reached the spike it looked to absorb it not just run it over. "Almost." She yelled, "But it looks like it might not even work."

"It won't." Aster said his eyes glowing slightly, "At least not at a distance. I can see some anti-magic shielding."

I looked in the mirror seeing the back of their vehicles open with what looked to be people holding staves. I could only assume they were spell-casters, "Can they cast out?"

"Maybe but they will need to be close," Aster answered.

"How can you tell?" Bay asked.

Asters eyes began to glow brighter as he pointed

"Rogue trick?" Bay asked.

"Cat trick."

Bay looked intensely curious, "Why does it look like?"

Aster stared back, looking for words, "Like a black hole pulling in power."

"Shit."

I spoke up looking to the group, "Any ideas? I've already taken us way off course. Do we just go and hope they just give up?" I had taken a side road that would take us on away from our route, so if we got away they wouldn't know where we went.

"We can't count on that," Violet answered.

"So no magic..." I asked.

"No external spells." Bay corrected

I started to put together a semblance of an idea, "Bay can you shield the car?"

"Probably." She said uncertainly.

"I have an idea. Everyone grab your weapons. Bay take the wheel and get a shield spell up."

Bay crawled over the seat and we struggled to switch positions drifting across the roads. Eventually, she was able to grab the wheel.

I made it to the back when Rowan asked, "What are we doing?"

"Car fighting."

Rowan smiled pulled his sword, "Sounds fun."

"We're going to get caught again," Violet said, but I could see her smile. She was excited.

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"Or we get armor for the car," Aster added.

Violets eyes shined, "For free."

I turned to the front, "Bay bring us close."

The car began to slow as the three pursuing vehicles began to catch up. I think we surprised them, but the way they smiled this was what they wanted. But I didn't think they were ready for us.

The vehicles were growing larger, and closer. The vehicles were a lot more intimidating as they got closer. They were a much higher-end vehicle than ours. They looked like a wyvern could ram them and they would still keep going. I shook those niggling doubts out of my head they would only be a distraction. We would win and we would get some armor out of this. The price for trying to stop our mission.

We had all congregated to the back of the jeep, reading our weapons. From here we could see the mages waiting to cast. They knew their range best and we could only guess.

Thirty yards, Bay let out a probing fireball, which did reach the vehicles this time, but only for it to be completely absorbed by the armor.

"Bay, focus on driving. Physical force is needed here." I said while Bay just rolled her eyes.

"Had to try."

Twenty yards. One of the pursuing mages must have gotten jumpy as they release, some type of earth spike magic. Half of it was absorbed by their own armor before it made it past them, dissipating about ten yards out.

"We're almost in. There range." Aster stated.

"Everyone get ready to jump." I began to circulate power. Empowering every muscle fiber, strengthening my bone. If I wanted to I could have jumped more than thirty yards out and landed, but then I'd be alone and all they would need to do to isolate me would be to hit the brakes.

I looked over my team, seeing them prepare for the jump. Violets arms grew buffer, her legs thicker, all her muscles becoming tense. Rowan looked to breathing deep, setting his stance, "They're here to kill. I feel it."

"Are you sure?"

"I can feel their glee, their anticipation, and their blood-lust," Rowan said growing angry.

I felt the grip on my sword tighten, I had to take a breath lest I do something foolish. I turned to see Aster reading himself with his little knife poised. What did he expect to do with that? I just hope he didn't fall, again.

They were so close, when we hit ten yards out, I yelled "Now!"

I kicked off the jeep hard shaking it as I flew off towards the farthest jeep. Rowan disappeared from his position only to appear on the top of the hood of the closest jeep. Rowan looked surprised as to where he emerged. The armor must have pulled him out of the skill early. That could be a problem. Rowan was able to gather himself and began to fight.

I saw Violet land hard on the hood of the other vehicle smashing the engine almost destroying the engine. Two of the mages flew off the back unable to hold on. She started smashing and throwing people, clearing the car.

I was still flying seeing Aster trying to keep his balance after my jump. Oops, at least he can help Rowan. I watched him stabilize himself and ready his jump. He kicked off, I watched as his foot caught on something, causing his jump to fall short right in front of the car, him getting hit with a loud thud, and him getting stuck on the front of the car. He looked to be barely holding on.

Ooph. That's got to hurt. So much happened in the few seconds I was flying through the air. I focused away from my team and onto my own target sword ready, and my power burst through every cell. I focused on my sword, I had thought for so long and been so unsure what to do but here and now I knew exactly what my sword's first word would be. I flared power into the gem, topping it off as I spoke the word burning it forever into the blade. "REACH"

The blade grew twenty feet as I slammed it as hard as I could, cutting deep into the vehicle and splitting one of the mages in half. I wasn't quite strong enough to cut the reinforced vehicle in half but the shock and fear in their eyes showed they didn't know what we could do. Then I landed, making quick work of all the pursuers. They didn't even have a chance to cast a spell as they fell. Only the driver survived as I did not feel right killing a man who could not defend himself.

I held my sword next to the man's throat. "Don't speak. If you do I will assume it's a spell. Nod if you understand."

The man visibly shaking nodded.

"Good." I looked up to see Violet still smashing the Jeep. All the mages had already abandoned the car, only the driver left. She noticed this and grabbed the man throwing him out of the vehicle now the driver. She looked over to me smiling smugly, in her beaten-up car.

Looking over to Rowan and Aster I could see them fighting off the mages, Aster was in the cab trying to take over the driving as a spike of earth shot through his back. Aster arches as he kicks the driver forcing the door open throwing him out. The door must have been damaged. Aster took control as Rowan finished taking out the mages. We now had four vehicles and one hostage.