against the tension of the muscles that had flinched around it, and then pulled hard.
The spear was released. Tristus reeled back a step and upon recapturing his balance, brought Dawnfire up over his head. He spun it, and a golden disc of power radiated outward, throwing aside those who immediately surrounded him.
Xu Liang put up the Moon Blade’s dome in order to deflect the body of a centaur that was flung in his and Taya’s direction. The young dwarf covered her face with both hands while the oversized body of both man and beast crashed thunderously into the barrier. The impact reminded Xu Liang unpleasantly of the ice giant’s club, and he incidentally held the reins tighter with one hand. Taya seemed to notice; her small hands lowered to fold over his and held. When she looked up at him, he spared her a glance, and with that glance hoped to assure her that he was not at any greater risk of harm than any of them.
That gesture was all he could spare. He would not leave the dome up long enough to invite a similar incident as what had happened defending against the ice giant’s assault. He took only a few moments to survey the battle.
Tristus and Alere stayed near one another, handling the forces on one side while Shirisae, Tarfan, and Fu Ran defended the other. Fu Ran stayed on his horse, maintaining his height advantage, as it put him at the same level as their assailants. One of them, he seized by the neck and flung in a fantastic display of might. He managed only to drag the centaur into his neighbor, but the assault caused legs to become tangled. During their stumbling, Tarfan hammered at lower joints, the compressed power of the dwarf causing significant damage. Shirisae attempted to lure her opponents out, trusting the thick and sturdy legs of her warhorse over the edges of the rocks while she assailed the raiders with surges of crackling silver light. The strands of energy snaked around limbs, hindering her targets with burns and pain that seemed to chase after them. One centaur tried kicking the lightning off of itself, which enabled Shirisae to ride in and draw the vicious blade of Firestorm down the length of its flank.
Ahead of Xu Liang, the guards were fighting with skill and honor. It was the presence of Guang Ci and the Night Blade that enabled them to do so as long as they had been and apparently without noticeable injury. The power of Behel intimidated, inspiring the centaurs to fight warily. Some tried to avoid Guang Ci altogether. Others drew back to fire upon him with their bows, only to have their arrows caught in the vapor of the Night Blade and hurled back at them.
Behind the onslaught stood the centaur who had blown the horn and summoned his fellow beasts. The eyes were set on Xu Liang, embarking on challenge with a glare of contempt that was present enough to be viewed across the battlefield. Noticing seemed to provoke the centaur further. He drew his bow and very deliberately took aim at Xu Liang, in blatant disregard for the dome that had thus far protected him.
“What’s he doing?” Taya asked.
Xu Liang did not answer. The arrow was fired. Closing his eyes, Xu Liang whispered a prayer to his ancestors, that the wind might carry Mei Qiao’s light. When he opened his eyes again, a shard of blue magic sailed out to meet the arrow, skimming off the head and slicing the shaft down the center. The remains tumbled and what may have been the chief centaur lowered his bow. He raised his horn afterward, casting out the whining blare once more, this time calling back his ranks.
Forest Guardian
N one of the battle had gone the way Fu Ran imagined, and in some ways feared it would. The Valley Lords had come, and they had not been men. Tristus had not gone berserk, and perhaps it had been unfair of Fu Ran to assume that he would. After all, he had battled hordes of the keirveshen and not unleashed that particular fury. Of course, that had been before Tristus had grown fond enough of anyone to
The spear was released. Tristus reeled back a step and upon recapturing his balance, brought Dawnfire up over his head. He spun it, and a golden disc of power radiated outward, throwing aside those who immediately surrounded him.
Xu Liang put up the Moon Blade’s dome in order to deflect the body of a centaur that was flung in his and Taya’s direction. The young dwarf covered her face with both hands while the oversized body of both man and beast crashed thunderously into the barrier. The impact reminded Xu Liang unpleasantly of the ice giant’s club, and he incidentally held the reins tighter with one hand. Taya seemed to notice; her small hands lowered to fold over his and held. When she looked up at him, he spared her a glance, and with that glance hoped to assure her that he was not at any greater risk of harm than any of them.
That gesture was all he could spare. He would not leave the dome up long enough to invite a similar incident as what had happened defending against the ice giant’s assault. He took only a few moments to survey the battle.
Tristus and Alere stayed near one another, handling the forces on one side while Shirisae, Tarfan, and Fu Ran defended the other. Fu Ran stayed on his horse, maintaining his height advantage, as it put him at the same level as their assailants. One of them, he seized by the neck and flung in a fantastic display of might. He managed only to drag the centaur into his neighbor, but the assault caused legs to become tangled. During their stumbling, Tarfan hammered at lower joints, the compressed power of the dwarf causing significant damage. Shirisae attempted to lure her opponents out, trusting the thick and sturdy legs of her warhorse over the edges of the rocks while she assailed the raiders with surges of crackling silver light. The strands of energy snaked around limbs, hindering her targets with burns and pain that seemed to chase after them. One centaur tried kicking the lightning off of itself, which enabled Shirisae to ride in and draw the vicious blade of Firestorm down the length of its flank.
Ahead of Xu Liang, the guards were fighting with skill and honor. It was the presence of Guang Ci and the Night Blade that enabled them to do so as long as they had been and apparently without noticeable injury. The power of Behel intimidated, inspiring the centaurs to fight warily. Some tried to avoid Guang Ci altogether. Others drew back to fire upon him with their bows, only to have their arrows caught in the vapor of the Night Blade and hurled back at them.
Behind the onslaught stood the centaur who had blown the horn and summoned his fellow beasts. The eyes were set on Xu Liang, embarking on challenge with a glare of contempt that was present enough to be viewed across the battlefield. Noticing seemed to provoke the centaur further. He drew his bow and very deliberately took aim at Xu Liang, in blatant disregard for the dome that had thus far protected him.
“What’s he doing?” Taya asked.
Xu Liang did not answer. The arrow was fired. Closing his eyes, Xu Liang whispered a prayer to his ancestors, that the wind might carry Mei Qiao’s light. When he opened his eyes again, a shard of blue magic sailed out to meet the arrow, skimming off the head and slicing the shaft down the center. The remains tumbled and what may have been the chief centaur lowered his bow. He raised his horn afterward, casting out the whining blare once more, this time calling back his ranks.
Forest Guardian
N one of the battle had gone the way Fu Ran imagined, and in some ways feared it would. The Valley Lords had come, and they had not been men. Tristus had not gone berserk, and perhaps it had been unfair of Fu Ran to assume that he would. After all, he had battled hordes of the keirveshen and not unleashed that particular fury. Of course, that had been before Tristus had grown fond enough of anyone to
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