In short order Nickolas realized he would never be able to keep up with the throng of running warriors.

So he asked for a ride.

Shamelessly.

“Necun's going to strangle me if she sees this.” his new friend muttered.

“She'll get over it.” the Mage replied cheerfully. “And she doesn't really need to know now does she?”

He was clutching onto the pleasant woman's back, grateful that she was slightly shorter than Necun. It meant the sore spots on his skin from the trip through the Green were spared the worst of the chafing.

Save for his arms, which hurt worse than ever.

At least I'm wearing a robe with proper enchantments. he mused. Small comforts are nice when you're in hostile territory I suppose.

The golden haired War Mage had thoroughly given up on there being peace and security for himself in the foreseeable future. The mindset brought it's own sort of comfort. He planned on fortifying whatever house he was sleeping in that night. Properly fortify, with walls and everything.

But that could wait until after he had rescued his wife.

They were moving quickly, lagging slightly behind the rest of the irate warriors as they leapt down to lower levels of the city. Nickolas was able to examine the absurd construction of the orcs' home as they went. The haphazard pillars and walkways that formed a hive of dense living areas and workshops. The lower they went the less organized everything seemed to be, and soon the Mage was so turned around he was certain he wouldn't be able to work his way back to the command station even with a map.

The orcs moved with purpose, showing no sign of hesitation as they dropped from swaying bridges or dived under walking platforms.

“Do you spend most of your time in the city?” he asked while the woman he clung too ran through a small shop.+

“I hunt every eighth day or so. Need to keep my aura sharp and all that, but I'm not quite a Hunter you know?” she huffed back, ducking under a rack of drying meat. “Why?”

Nickolas had to snap his head to the side to avoid a clawed leg dripping blood into a pan below.

“You seem comfortable navigating this labyrinth that's all.” he said.

“Labyrinth?” she replied. “I suppose it's a bit cluttered around here, but nothing special. Old woman's Spine is much worse, you basically have to crawl to reach some of the faster routes there. And the smell is-”

His helper cut herself off as she came to a screeching halt on the old walkway. She twitched to duck low, before seeming to remember Nickolas clung to her shoulders, and would ruin all but the most basic attempts at stealth.

Through the general din of the city Nickolas heard the clash of steel against steel.

“They were right.” he whispered. “They're in the streets. Are they really that desperate?”

“We've been pressing them.” the woman grunted back. “I'm sure they felt trapped. They might as well strike while they have some numbers to speak of.”

Her logic made sense to Nickolas in that horrible way battlefield decisions always did.

“Is there any way for them to surrender at least?” he asked. “If they have a way out I'm sure a few might take it.”

“They broke their honor.” the woman replied, as if it answered his question.

“So they just get cut down?” he pressed. “Unless you think they're useful or they run into the Green? It just seems a bit inefficient, I'm sure a few would even accept being prisoners if you offered. Long term I mean.”

They were dropping again, he clutched tight as they landed on a rooftop.

“And dull our auras for the sake of traitors?” she scoffed.

Their auras are too tied to killing. he realized. This isn't a fight or a war it's a hunt. You don't take prey prisoner.

The shape of the campaign fell into place and he sagged slightly on the woman's back. It would be a fight to the death. There was little reason for either side to take prisoner's at all now. He still held a solid hope that his wife was alive. Wounded perhaps, but it would take more than this to snuff her flame. The doubt still scraped against his heart.

“Are we close to where they were going?” he asked, working through some spell structures to calm himself.

“No.” the woman said.

They dropped another level, she bounced off a support beam for a market tent with shocking agility, her aura burning bright pink as they continued into the dark depths of the city.

“Now we're close.” she said.

Nickolas stifled a giggle despite his nervousness.

“When we get to the last place Necun was spotted let me down, I can't cast easily on your back.” he said. “Assuming we can walk the last stretch safely.”

There was a scream above them, cut off sharply as they moved, putting layers between themselves and the source.

“If you're sure about...going in. That makes sense.” his helper replied. “We'll be behind the others but that may be for the best anyway. We didn't have time to form proper pods so this is going to be chaos.”

“I can work with chaos.” the Mage said, trying to sound as confident as possible. “I do some of my best casting in chaos.”

That part was true at the least. His tutors had found extra stress to be an excellent motivator for the more difficult subjects. With a few exceptions. Nickolas still had the occasional nightmare about his dancing lessons.

He just needed that extra push with important things, in order to avoid getting into his more sour moods.

No one liked him when he was moping.

They had switched from moving mostly downwards to mostly horizontal. The warrior he clung to leapt up stairs three at a time, and didn't seem to touch any stairs at all when going down as she rushed forward. They had long ago lost sight of the rest of the charging women, and his new friend seemed to be choosing interesting new routes that a larger group would struggle with.

He knew they were close when her shoulders grew suddenly tense.

She flashed a hand sign awkwardly at him. Nickolas wasn't sure of the exact meaning, but took a guess and jumped off the warrior's back.

The woman was crouched low before his boots touched the ground. With a rasp she drew a knife into her left hand, it was short with a hooked end, a nasty piece of work. In her other hand she held a simple wooden rod, only the blunt tip coated in pitted iron.

Another hand sign.

“I don't read hand signs.” Nickolas whispered so low he could barely hear his own words. “Just point.”

He could see the sigh in the woman's eyes, even if she didn't physically do so.

She pointed. First at him, then at herself, finally at a blocky edifice of a building. The one with boarded windows.

I can see why it drew the eye. Nickolas thought. Should have investigated immediately, but Necun's mother mentioned it was suspicious because two pods failed to look into it. I don't detect any-

Power washed through the air, so thick Nickolas could taste it, like acid on the tongue.

They're casting something else. he thought, mind racing as he tried to determine what the spell's function was. At the lowest floor, but not the next level down. I think. This might get awkward if I'm wrong.

He scanned the surrounding area for other warriors, but found none.

“Is there anyone else here?” he asked his companion. “Allies? Because someone's casting heavy in that building and it's nasty stuff...really rotten.”

The woman stiffened suddenly at the last word, then turned to give him a glare.

Right. the Mage thought sullenly. Still don't know how to use 'rot' the correct way.

He smiled nervously to hide his deeper discomfort.

“Do we have a pod backing us?” he pressed the silent woman. “Or are we doing this alone?”

The woman ground her teeth briefly before responding.

“We need to get closer.” she hissed. “We can call in the others if we need it but most of us are busy fighting in other parts of the city.”

The words felt strange to Nickolas, something felt wrong. The warrior turned as if to listen to a distant sound.

“It's worse than we thought.” the woman said grimly. “They're just going berserk. People are shouting about it a lot.”

Nickolas couldn't hear, not so far away, but he listened anyway. As he stood there he noticed how strange the magic was. Not just the hazy pulses of acid coming from the building, but the whole city's atmosphere. It felt like blood in the mouth, or a dull ache in your chest after a heavy meal.

Then, suddenly, there was a shift, a sudden flare, like smoke from a doused fire. Other sensations joined, fresh dew on grass, twisting leaves covering your eyes. The sheer vibrancy of the magic stunned the golden haired Mage as he processed them.

“The circles are joining in.” he said softly. “There's a strange magic in the air, but they're fighting it back.”

The woman nodded sharply, but gave no other sign.

“Okay, move in and wait for the others.” he said, refocusing on the task at hand. “What if we see an opportunity? If Necun's still here?”

“We can go in...but only if you're certain.” the woman said, sounding uncertain herself. “Just...be ready to run if it looks bad, now be quiet.”

She stalked forward, Nickolas following in her shadow as best he could. He quickly noticed his companion was avoiding certain walkway boards, and the Mage did the same, assuming she knew instinctively which would squeak the loudest.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

The warrior spun her blade absently as they slipped into the shadows, using the darkness to mask their approach to a small side door. Nickolas assumed it was a sign of the woman preparing herself for combat.

A crashing sound echoed deep within the eight story building, followed by a clash of steel. The hazy magic intensified.

Nickolas wanted to move, to rush forward. As it was he strained his ears to listen for Necun's voice while he watched each of his torturously slow steps.

They drew close. His guide watched the windows closely, eyes straining for movement. They reached the end of the shadow's protection. Nickolas felt a strange sensation close to his face. It was thin, a ward of some sort, but seemingly inactive. The Mage suspected he found the magic which kept attention off the building. As they stepped past the barrier the building came into focus, and Nickolas sucked in a breath.

Why had it seemed so natural for the band of women, who were so focused on rescuing Necun and her mother when they left, to peel off and dedicate themselves to less important fights? Clearly this building must be central to whatever plans the traitors had in mind if it was so thoroughly guarded?

A chill ran up Nickolas's spine as he reviewed his own thoughts. Why had his mother in law insisted on only bringing Necun? Surely if she expected to find something interesting an entire pod would have been better? More than a dozen women were on hand at the command station for just such a purpose.

Whatever magic suffused the building was shockingly potent, and capable of clouding even the strongest warrior's mind.

It had effected Nickolas as well, though interestingly not enough to keep him from seeking his wife. Nor did it drag his companion off track. The woman hadn't reacted as they crossed the barrier. The golden haired Mage was hesitant to speak this close to their enemies. Discussion of the strange mind magic, a terrifying concept Nickolas was assured until this moment was a legend, would have to wait until they were away from the area, far from the traitor's ears.

His companion's aura had shifted, closing in around her in strange patterns of blue and green. Much of it concentrated around her legs, what little noise emanating from her boots scraping against wood vanished as the warrior stalked forward.

The door they were approaching rattled, then swung wide.

Nickolas was halfway through forming his spell when his companion crashed into the figure silhouetted in the doorway. Both women struggled on the floor as Nickolas ran forward, deciding it was better to be inside the building rather than in the open where he could be easily picked off.

The fear was coiling in his chest as he stepped past his companion. She rose off the lifeless body of her foe, and even in the dimmer light Nickolas knew the front of her armor was stained with gore.

The warrior cracked her neck, and Nickolas couldn't help but shiver at the look in her eyes.

“Senta's in the building. Moving. Fighting.” she growled, no longer trying to be quiet. “You should hide while I find her.”

“Is Necun...” Nickolas trailed off.

“Not moving, can't feel her aura.” the woman replied with a hint of sadness. “Doesn't mean she's...well, I won't count her out of this. Keep low and stay out of sight, they'll be focused on finding me.”

And with a flash of pink the woman leapt up onto a banister above and disappeared.

With so many shocks to his system, and a body on the floor, the Mage decided to take the woman's advice. It wasn't difficult to find a small out of the way room, though it was smaller than he would prefer. The building had a strangely open floor plan that would be suddenly blocked by entire rooms left intact, presumably for structure. He was pressed up against a pile of mops, buckets crowding his feet as he processed the situation.

Whatever his mother in law's plan it had clearly gone poorly, he needed to find his wife, and preferably the others, and escape.

The first step was to kill the Mages maintaining the mental influence field.

Nickolas didn't come to the violent conclusion lightly, but he also knew he couldn't guarantee an escape if he couldn't trust his own mind the moment they left. The situation was out of control in broad terms, but with two ferocious warriors distracting any remaining guards he should have a good shot at the Mages. He just hoped he could approach before they realized precisely what he was.

Because if he knew one thing, it was that no one in this city was ready for a War Mage.

**********

When Necun mercifully drifted back to consciousness she found herself in the third most compromising position of her life. Her entire right side had bruised, a strap pulling so tight it caused her ribs to creak. She was hanging by a hastily attached climbing hook, one of the prongs had already come loose in the soot dusted brick. An ache ran up her entire body, the pain bright and harsh, not diluted in the slightest. Her aura was sputtering, not broken but suppressed. Also she had spat blood over herself at some point, which was unpleasant.

The Hunter was, however, alive and seemingly free, which was better than she had hoped for in her trance like state. Careful to avoid shifting her weight for fear of knocking the hook loose she reached up to grip the side of the chimney she was stashed within. Pulling herself up was pure agony, but flopping down onto the dirty roof was a relief beyond words.

As she stared at the bottom of the walkways above the Hunter reviewed what memories she could piece together and came up with little and less. Her mind was a jumble, and fuzzy on top of that. She could hardly recall why she had left with her mother in the first place, what this hunt was for.

She needed to find someone, Necun decided. Someone she could trust that would make sense of this mess in her skull.

But first she would rest.

“If Necun's still here?” a voice drifted up.

Her aura spat louder, licking at her skin.

Nickolas! That was Nickolas's voice! He could help!

With groan Necun shifted to her hands and knees, crawling with at an agonizing pace towards the edge of the roof. She pricked her ears, listening intently for any sign of her bond.

A door was opened, and anxiety coiled in her gut as she heard a fight break out. Below her she could hear other people in the building react. They would get to the bottom floor long before she could, and dark thoughts closed in.

Her mouth opened as she prepared to croak out a warning, but she quickly realized it would do no good. Even if Nickolas could hear her the women chasing him would certainly hear as well. The struggle below had been a physical affair. He had at least one woman with him. If he had more, an entire pod perhaps? Then he would be fine regardless of how many traitors threw themselves at him. If it was just a pair of warriors, or worse, just one, he had a better chance of taking their foes by surprise if they didn't know he was there.

She knew he was too stubborn to hide, even if the hope that he would glimmered in her heart.

Her plan was to reach the end of the roof and clamber down, then convince him to make an escape. They could gather more pods of warriors and make a proper push. Whatever magic clouded her mind wasn't perfect, and certainly wouldn't last past whatever Mages the traitors had aligned with were dragged out of their hidey holes.

And maybe rendered unconscious. For safety.

At the edge of the roof she gripped the side with a firm hand as she peered over the edge. The smell of blood permeated the air now, sounds of a struggle had ceased. She felt a pulse of aura, not one she recognized but certainly a Hunter's. Then the aura fled deeper into the building, and she strained her ears for sign of her bond.

Her own breath hissed through the air, almost deafening, but she did hear him, moving as quietly as he could. She needed to get down to the ground floor.

A single breath, deep and calming, and then she was dropping.

Her hand lashed out, gripping the side of the building. A windowsill found her fingers and it slowed her enough to drop her foot onto the one beneath it. It went wrong from there, her fingers were weak, losing their grip before her foot was secure. She slipped, tumbling down to the ground in a clatter. Forcing her landing into an awkward roll saved her from broken bones, but lit her entire body up in agony instead.

Laying on the ground, choking in each breath, she listened to see if she would be spotted.

No footsteps came. No blade touched her throat. It seemed the traitors had other worries.

Rolling onto her stomach was the hardest thing Necun had done since falling off the roof a moment ago. Standing was slightly worse.

She lurched forward to lean against the door frame. Just inside was the slowly cooling corpse of a woman with a mask similar to the assassin's favored style. The corpse's eyes shone as they stared blankly at the ceiling. Necun moved on.

Stumbling into the darkness Necun listened closely again. Nickolas hadn't left a trace, and was likely hiding. She didn't want to risk calling out to him, she was in no state to defend them both from even a single traitor.

Her aura was straining, desperate to help her find her bond. Burning below her skin, it fought against the pressure bearing down on her. Each heartbeat added another spark, she was adapting, it was just ponderously slow.

The darkness settled around her, Necun slowed as she attempted to limp silently.

“Necun?” her bond said, causing her heart to leap for several reasons.

Nickolas stepped out from behind a corner. His hair was a mess, but the Mage otherwise appeared unharmed. Necun banished the spike of shame that she hadn't heard his steps, these were hardly ideal conditions for a Hunter in any case. The important thing was her bond was alive and unharmed, they could flee this cursed building and seek reinforcements.

“You're hurt.” the Mage hissed, moving forward, his hand hovering over her side. “Was that you crashing outside? Did you jump off the roof? Why?”

“Heard your voice.” she rasped back, glad he didn't touch her raw ribs. “We need to leave this place-”

“Is under a heavy series of spells, some of which I thought were impossible.” Nickolas interrupted. “Yes, I'm on my way to stop it. You'll need to hide until I've disrupted whatever ritual the Mages are using to keep this place muddled in our minds. I'll find you once I'm done.”

She wanted to laugh and weep. The irony weighted heavy. Her bond wanted her to hide while he ran into danger. Worse, she wasn't sure he was wrong. The magic here was unlike anything she had ever felt, or even heard of. It was dangerous beyond belief, and if anyone could break it over his knee it was her glorious bond.

Under her skin her aura was snapping and hissing at the very concept of Nickolas going without her.

“No. I'm coming.” she said resolutely, drawing a knife.

Nickolas opened his mouth. Then closed it.

The Mage considered her. Necun held his gaze, staring into her bond's bright eyes. She was too exhausted to do much else.

“Alright.” he whispered. “We'll go together. Can you listen for anyone approaching? I think your mother and the woman I arrived with are pulling the traitors away but if they accidentally lead them to us things will get dicey.”

Necun nodded stiffly.

“I'll lead.” she said, more confidently than she felt. “If you see me stop get to the nearest hiding spot.”

“Don't jump into a fight.” Nickolas warned. “If you hang back it gives me more time to cast anyway.”

It wasn't much of a plan, but it would have to do.

**********

His wife was wounded and his blood was boiling.

Nickolas didn't know he could feel this much rage at once, it was taking everything he had not to show it on his face. Necun didn't need to know what he was feeling, how worried he was. The Mage knew that the proud Hunter would conceal her wounds the moment he tried to show concern. So he put off his worrying until he could drag his fool of a wife into a medical tent.

It was the same reason he didn't argue hard against stopping the Mages together. He knew it would make little difference, if he couldn't disrupt the spell they would likely die regardless. Mind magic this powerful was too dangerous a tool to leave with such deranged traitors. The presence of his wife also comforted him, despite her weakened state. Knowing she was hiding in some corner, one curious traitor away from death would gnaw at him if she had agreed to separate.

Watching her walk with a limp was almost too much to bear already.

She'll get priority in the medical tent. Nickolas thought to calm himself. And after this we'll take a long break. Just find a quiet place to stay until the caravan arrives and relax for days. Lots of hot meals and sleeping in together.

The bruise down his wife's side was massive, poking out of the collar of her armor. In the places her shirt was ripped Nickolas could see where it formed into blotched on her back. His fist clenched.

She has likely suffered worse. he reminded himself, remembering her scars. And she'll survive this as well. Doubly so with you there to comfort her. Focus on breaking the Mage's ritual so we can let the others take care of this madness.

The Mage hoped desperately that this was the work of a ritual. He had spotted no signs of runework, or artifacts that could be responsible for the ward outside. Nothing more complex than a spring stone. An artifact was the second best option. Such objects could be stolen or broken to erase their effects. On the other hand, if this was simply the work of a few Mages with specialized spells there would be nothing to interrupt. They would merely concentrate on fighting Nickolas in a Mage duel while their allies gathered to put an axe in his skull before resuming the effect at full power.

If my first bolt doesn't dramatically improve the situation we're just going to run. he decided. Let the others find this place we tried our best, even if we can't remember that once we leave.

The extent of the spells still eluded him. Orcish spellcasting in general was a terrifying look into how deeply he did not comprehend the full nature of magic. Perhaps no one did, but it provided a certain perspective when forced onto him so bluntly. It was like he had been walking on a narrow strip of stone, minding the small pebbles that might trip him if he stepped on them wrong, only to suddenly look away from the direct path and find a gaping abyss on either side.

He would learn with time, but until he understood at least the depth of that abyss he needed to watch every step.

Ahead of him Necun's limping steps slowed, and she tilted her head.

Above them the sound of a scream echoed. Nickolas swallowed down his apprehension when Necun glanced back to him. He nodded. They needed to continue.

Luckily their destination wasn't too far from the door he had entered from. The pair carefully slipped into a set of intact rooms, most of the buildings noises faded into the background, a stark contrast to rest of the floor's cavernous echo. The smell of half eaten food reached his nose, and a heartbeat later he felt the licking heat of a nearby fire. This was a cooking area, and he suspected a living quarters for whatever set of traitors didn't have a home outside these walls. Their intrusion had interrupted a meal, plates were scattered around, dropped haphazardly as the women rushed towards the intrusion.

Nickolas wondered how keen the ward was at detecting their arrival. How quickly they had learned of his secondary 'assault' if the word even applied.

The magic was thick here, but not directed. The parallels to what he witnessed in the medical room were clear, but the Mage knew such surface level comparisons could be deceiving. While the magic was thicker here, it was also concentrated enough Nickolas wasn't sure where precisely the ritual site might be. If it were a human spell he would have heard a droning chant by now, or smelled the drug infused smoke the heartlands ritual Mages favored.

Nothing leapt out a him. No dancing steps, no cries of excretion. Nothing that would indicate a ritual in the human tradition.

They searched each room, turning back each time he felt the magic thin. At first the War Mage wondered if their foes were on the floor above, but no he reasoned, he would have heard them moving there as well. As he circled the concentration of magic again he mapped the rooms in his head. They had narrowed in on the only possible location a room directly at the center of the magical concentration. The room contained several bunk beds and no less than eight tables. Magical herb and reagents were scattered about, some drying by the doorway. It was a Mage's home, likely more than one bedded here, yet they were gone.

First Nickolas suspected that they had a personal spell that mimicked the ward outside. Narrower, but more effective at hitting individuals. He and Necun could be walking past their foes, sitting on the beds or standing by a desk, and simply not see them. If Nickolas understood the workings of the magic correctly any observer would be incapable of properly judging the importance of what the magic protected, seeing it as unimportant, or at least non threatening.

And yet his mother in law had still understood that she was heading for a large set of buildings. He had known that said buildings would contain their enemies. The spell didn't seem to muddle their perception of the protected area, just their ability to judge it.

He would notice a Mage standing in the corner, casting a ritual.

He was on the ground floor, and the magic was here. He was sure of it.

But there was no where else for the orcish Mages to hi-

Beside him Necun shifted her weight. The floor creaked.

Nickolas looked down.

At the floorboards.

The suspiciously clean and straight floorboards.

Catching Necun's eye Nickolas pointed to the floor and made a hand gesture he hoped indicated hiding and magic. He had to repeat the gesture twice before he saw his wife's eyes light up in realization. Nickolas pointed at his wife, then at the edge of one of the boards. There was a gap, large enough for her blade to slip through. She knelt down slowly, avoiding even a whisper of noise. Nickolas prepared a pair of his most versatile lightning spells.

Even in her state, nearly auraless and covered in bruises Necun was deft with a knife. The Hunter popped open what turned out to be an entire panel up enough to stick her fingers under. Without a moment of hesitation she flipped it until the wood smashed into the floorboards behind.

The hidden hinge creaked in protest.

Nickolas pulled in a sharp breath.

The Mage tucked into the hidden compartment with his seven companions looked up at the pair with horror.

Chaos ensued.