with the knife.”
“You have a powerful asset in your command,” she says, smiling. “I can create a diversion to get us close.” She points out two towers next to each other protecting what looks like the main gate. “Once we are there, we take out the first tower from the ground while their attention is diverted. Then we climb up the ladder to the one next to it and take them down.”
Commander Stevens rubs his hands together and stands up. “I’ll put four archers in place for your diversion. They will take out the men in the corner towers.”
“With the sentries on this side down, we should be able to storm in the front gate with part of our force,” Nal says turning to Stevens. “If you would, lead a unit to cover the other gate. If we can cut off their chance to escape we will be in business.”
“Consider it done,” Stevens says, marching away.
Situations like this is what makes Nal such a great leader of people. In this world there are no shortage of people looking to hog all the glory, but he isn’t one of them. He is content sitting quietly in the background making sure the cogs are turning while the rest of his people get all the praise. He knows deep down he is the reason things work out as he puts the right people on the right jobs.
I look at my watch in the moonlight to get the time. “We need to get this show on the road in the next thirty minutes or we are going to lose the cover of darkness.”
Nal nods. “Then we move in fifteen. Stevens should be in place by then.”
“You ready?” Nancy asks, stepping into the open. Part of me wants to yank her back into the tree line, but I know she needs to be in the open to create her diversion. I only wish I thought to ask her what she had in mind. Thankfully she doesn’t leave me in the dark for long.
She stops about teen feet in front of me and lifts her arms in the air. I hang back behind her so I don’t interrupt whatever she is doing. From my position I can hear her saying something, but I can’t make out the words.
Then she breaks into something that sounds like a chant.
Then I see it.
A green streak of light fills the sky on the south side of the compound. It almost looks like a meteor though it is lasting much longer and flying much more slowly than they usually do.
“Let’s move,” she says when the light from the green streak finally goes dark.
With my knife in hand, I follow close behind Nancy who is running at a full sprint. I’ve never been the fastest runner, but with my freshly healed leg I’m able to keep her pace.
As we get closer I notice the men in the towers watching the sky to the south. From this angle is is hard to make out, but they almost look to be relaxing their weapons. The two sentries in the right tower point ahead, obviously still noticing the effects of the flaming meteor from their higher viewpoint.
Ahead of me, Nancy pulls the bow off her back and notches an arrow in record speed. She pulls the bow to her ear, taking aim at a man on the left tower, bringing him down with a single arrow. Without hesitation I throw my knife in the air, using my power to thrust it into the other target.
With the first two men down and us at the tower, she stops at the bottom just out view of the other two men.
“They still look distracted,” I say.
“It won’t last much longer,” she says. “We need to hurry.”
Nancy sprints around the corner of the tower wall and jumps onto the ladder on the inside of the gate. Without hesitation I follow close behind. As we climb up the ladder it creaks slightly, putting me on edge. All it would take to end this whole charade is for one of the men in the other tower to hear us now. While they might struggle to kill Nancy, they could easily have me on the ground in a heap with one well placed bullet. I press the thought to the back of my mind, however, and focus on my climb.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Nancy reaches the top of the
“You have a powerful asset in your command,” she says, smiling. “I can create a diversion to get us close.” She points out two towers next to each other protecting what looks like the main gate. “Once we are there, we take out the first tower from the ground while their attention is diverted. Then we climb up the ladder to the one next to it and take them down.”
Commander Stevens rubs his hands together and stands up. “I’ll put four archers in place for your diversion. They will take out the men in the corner towers.”
“With the sentries on this side down, we should be able to storm in the front gate with part of our force,” Nal says turning to Stevens. “If you would, lead a unit to cover the other gate. If we can cut off their chance to escape we will be in business.”
“Consider it done,” Stevens says, marching away.
Situations like this is what makes Nal such a great leader of people. In this world there are no shortage of people looking to hog all the glory, but he isn’t one of them. He is content sitting quietly in the background making sure the cogs are turning while the rest of his people get all the praise. He knows deep down he is the reason things work out as he puts the right people on the right jobs.
I look at my watch in the moonlight to get the time. “We need to get this show on the road in the next thirty minutes or we are going to lose the cover of darkness.”
Nal nods. “Then we move in fifteen. Stevens should be in place by then.”
“You ready?” Nancy asks, stepping into the open. Part of me wants to yank her back into the tree line, but I know she needs to be in the open to create her diversion. I only wish I thought to ask her what she had in mind. Thankfully she doesn’t leave me in the dark for long.
She stops about teen feet in front of me and lifts her arms in the air. I hang back behind her so I don’t interrupt whatever she is doing. From my position I can hear her saying something, but I can’t make out the words.
Then she breaks into something that sounds like a chant.
Then I see it.
A green streak of light fills the sky on the south side of the compound. It almost looks like a meteor though it is lasting much longer and flying much more slowly than they usually do.
“Let’s move,” she says when the light from the green streak finally goes dark.
With my knife in hand, I follow close behind Nancy who is running at a full sprint. I’ve never been the fastest runner, but with my freshly healed leg I’m able to keep her pace.
As we get closer I notice the men in the towers watching the sky to the south. From this angle is is hard to make out, but they almost look to be relaxing their weapons. The two sentries in the right tower point ahead, obviously still noticing the effects of the flaming meteor from their higher viewpoint.
Ahead of me, Nancy pulls the bow off her back and notches an arrow in record speed. She pulls the bow to her ear, taking aim at a man on the left tower, bringing him down with a single arrow. Without hesitation I throw my knife in the air, using my power to thrust it into the other target.
With the first two men down and us at the tower, she stops at the bottom just out view of the other two men.
“They still look distracted,” I say.
“It won’t last much longer,” she says. “We need to hurry.”
Nancy sprints around the corner of the tower wall and jumps onto the ladder on the inside of the gate. Without hesitation I follow close behind. As we climb up the ladder it creaks slightly, putting me on edge. All it would take to end this whole charade is for one of the men in the other tower to hear us now. While they might struggle to kill Nancy, they could easily have me on the ground in a heap with one well placed bullet. I press the thought to the back of my mind, however, and focus on my climb.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Nancy reaches the top of the
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