Warrior Priest of Dmon-Li - Brian Pratt [47]
Miko plops himself down on the ground, exhausted. “Don’t get too comfortable,” Jiron tells him from over by the river. “We’re not staying very long.”
“I know,” he replies, sounding very tired.
James hobbles over and sits down with his back against a tree near Miko, glad to have the opportunity to rest. His leg is starting to burn and when he looks at it, can see that blood is beginning to ooze again from the cuts. He brings his head down to lay on his arms resting on his knees just as a crossbow bolt embeds itself into the tree where his head had been but a moment ago.
“Jiron!” he yells as he rolls to his side, avoiding another bolt as it strikes the tree. Pain erupts in his side as he feels the barely healed wound rip open. Suddenly, the entire area is illuminated by a bright light as he creates an orb of light in the air above them. He quickly looks around and sees several soldiers coming toward them out of the trees. He lets loose with blasts of energy that lifts two of them up and slams them into the trees behind them.
Miko is getting up, trying to get his sword out of its scabbard when a soldier appears in front of him. Screaming, he lurches away from the attacker just as a slug strikes the soldier in the chest, propelling him backward as it blasts out of his back.
He at last gets the sword out as Jiron joins the battle, engaging two of the remaining soldiers. Taking the sword in both hands, Miko edges backward, away from the battle knowing he’d be little use against them.
The ground erupts and five soldiers are thrown into the air. Miko looks around and sees a soldier coming up behind James who looks to be lost in concentration, oblivious to the approaching danger.
Miko breaks into a run to engage the man before he can get to James. The soldier hears him approaching and turns, a smile on his face when he sees Miko.
Coming closer, Miko cries out as he swings the sword with all his might. The soldier easily deflects his inept attack and returns with a slash. Before it has a chance to connect, the soldier is struck with a slug and thrown off balance. Miko is sprayed with gore from the exiting slug as the man falls to the ground dead.
Miko turns to see James looking toward him another slug in his hand. He gives him a brief nod of thanks as he wipes some of the man’s blood off his face, then brings his attention to the remaining soldiers battling Jiron. Knowing he’d be worse than useless there, he goes over to James and stands with sword ready as he watches his back.
Jiron deflects one soldier’s blade while at the same time elbowing the other in the side of the head, causing him to stagger dazed for just a few seconds. He sidesteps away from the dazed man as he engages the remaining soldier.
The man holds him at bay with his shield while striking out with his sword. Jiron deflects the soldier’s sword rather than taking the brunt of the attack by blocking, and returns with a slice from his other knife, opening up a long wound down the man’s forearm. He severs several tendons which causes the soldier’s hand to release the sword. Without his sword, Jiron is able to knock aside the shield and get inside his defenses. A quick strike with his knife and he connects with a mortal wound to the man’s neck.
Blood spraying forth as the jugular is severed, he sees the soldier fall and then turns his attention back to the man who’d been staggering dazed and kicks out with his foot. Connecting with the man’s knee, he hears a satisfying ‘snap’ as the soldier cries out and falls to the ground.
Moving away from the fallen man, he quickly glances around the area and realizes there’re no more soldiers to deal with. “Come on!” he cries as they resume their flight through the forest. He notices that this time, Miko has acquired a crossbow as well as a brace of bolts which is slung across