it.” It was Lei. The other three looked over, surprised.
“What are you talking about?”
“Jura said this person wanted to see
me
. He gave me the staff. For all we know, I
have
to do it.”
Daine blinked. “Yes, but …” He glanced back as the minotaur lifted up the unconscious bugbear and threw him from the steps. “What are you going to do against
that?”
“He said no weapons. I can handle that better than you can. Trust me, Daine. With all that I’ve been through the last two days, I’m going to enjoy this.”
“Your uncle, your decision.” Daine shrugged. “Jode, be ready to help her the instant she needs it.”
The halfling nodded.
Lei turned and bowed to the minotaur. It watched her, its inhuman expression impossible to read. Handing the darkwood staff to Pierce, Lei ran her fingers along the studs of her armor, murmuring quietly, then she produced a pinch of powdered stone from her pouch and rubbed it into the leather of her belt. Daine recognized the mystical significance of her actions, but he had no idea what enchantments she was weaving into her clothing.
After a few minutes, Lei’s preparations were complete. She turned and walked toward the minotaur, pausing at the bottom of the steps. She stood straight and tall, her arms at her sides, and took one slow, deep breath.
“I wish to talk to the wind,” she said.
The guardian nodded, then without warning he charged down the steps, a blur of black and gold.
Lei was no soldier. She had been assigned to Daine’s unit to care for the warforged. By the rules of war, she was a non-combatant, safe from the danger of battle so long as she posed no threat to anyone involved. Most artificers and magewrights had relied entirely on this pledge to serve as their shield, but Lei’s parents had not been so trusting. She was no warrior, but she’d been taught to defend herself with both magical and martial skill. To the others, the minotaur might be moving with blinding speed. But Lei had prepared for the fight, and to her enchanted eyes the beast was like a bull charging through three feet of mud. She barely moved, slipping just beyond his reach and turning as he rumbled past.
The minotaur turned to face her, and Lei raised her left hand. With a whispered word she activated the power stored within her glove, and a dark bolt lanced out to strike her foe. Shadows wreathed the minotaur, blue light tracing his muscles as the magic leached the energy from his sinews. But the minotaur was already in motion, and he slammed into Lei before she could slip out of the way. The golden studs of Lei’s armor flared with light, and a shimmering field of translucent energy deflected much of the raw force of the blow—but the sheer momentum of the attack threw her to the ground.
Lei cursed as she struggled to her feet. Never start a fight. Never draw a blade. Her parents had taught her defense, but the first principle of defense was to avoid the fight. Challenging a minotaur … what would her mother say to such foolishness?
She hadn’t hurt the minotaur, but she had weakened him, and he was acting with more caution. They circled for a moment, then Lei slipped forward and past him, coming up behind and planting a powerful kick where she thought his kidneys might be. But if the minotaur felt any pain, he didn’t show it, and Lei had left herself open with the attack. Grunting, the beast slapped her with a powerful backhand blow. Her enchanted armor kept her on her feet, but for a moment the world went black, and when her vision cleared a monstrous fist was flying toward her face. Calling on every ounce of will, Lei dropped beneath the blow and slipped forward. Bringing her right hand up against her opponent’s chest, she extended her mind, reaching into the glove and unlocking the power she’d bound within. The minotaur howled as a brilliant arc of electrical energy surged through his body. The beast dropped to his knees and offered no resistance as Lei put
“What are you talking about?”
“Jura said this person wanted to see
me
. He gave me the staff. For all we know, I
have
to do it.”
Daine blinked. “Yes, but …” He glanced back as the minotaur lifted up the unconscious bugbear and threw him from the steps. “What are you going to do against
that?”
“He said no weapons. I can handle that better than you can. Trust me, Daine. With all that I’ve been through the last two days, I’m going to enjoy this.”
“Your uncle, your decision.” Daine shrugged. “Jode, be ready to help her the instant she needs it.”
The halfling nodded.
Lei turned and bowed to the minotaur. It watched her, its inhuman expression impossible to read. Handing the darkwood staff to Pierce, Lei ran her fingers along the studs of her armor, murmuring quietly, then she produced a pinch of powdered stone from her pouch and rubbed it into the leather of her belt. Daine recognized the mystical significance of her actions, but he had no idea what enchantments she was weaving into her clothing.
After a few minutes, Lei’s preparations were complete. She turned and walked toward the minotaur, pausing at the bottom of the steps. She stood straight and tall, her arms at her sides, and took one slow, deep breath.
“I wish to talk to the wind,” she said.
The guardian nodded, then without warning he charged down the steps, a blur of black and gold.
Lei was no soldier. She had been assigned to Daine’s unit to care for the warforged. By the rules of war, she was a non-combatant, safe from the danger of battle so long as she posed no threat to anyone involved. Most artificers and magewrights had relied entirely on this pledge to serve as their shield, but Lei’s parents had not been so trusting. She was no warrior, but she’d been taught to defend herself with both magical and martial skill. To the others, the minotaur might be moving with blinding speed. But Lei had prepared for the fight, and to her enchanted eyes the beast was like a bull charging through three feet of mud. She barely moved, slipping just beyond his reach and turning as he rumbled past.
The minotaur turned to face her, and Lei raised her left hand. With a whispered word she activated the power stored within her glove, and a dark bolt lanced out to strike her foe. Shadows wreathed the minotaur, blue light tracing his muscles as the magic leached the energy from his sinews. But the minotaur was already in motion, and he slammed into Lei before she could slip out of the way. The golden studs of Lei’s armor flared with light, and a shimmering field of translucent energy deflected much of the raw force of the blow—but the sheer momentum of the attack threw her to the ground.
Lei cursed as she struggled to her feet. Never start a fight. Never draw a blade. Her parents had taught her defense, but the first principle of defense was to avoid the fight. Challenging a minotaur … what would her mother say to such foolishness?
She hadn’t hurt the minotaur, but she had weakened him, and he was acting with more caution. They circled for a moment, then Lei slipped forward and past him, coming up behind and planting a powerful kick where she thought his kidneys might be. But if the minotaur felt any pain, he didn’t show it, and Lei had left herself open with the attack. Grunting, the beast slapped her with a powerful backhand blow. Her enchanted armor kept her on her feet, but for a moment the world went black, and when her vision cleared a monstrous fist was flying toward her face. Calling on every ounce of will, Lei dropped beneath the blow and slipped forward. Bringing her right hand up against her opponent’s chest, she extended her mind, reaching into the glove and unlocking the power she’d bound within. The minotaur howled as a brilliant arc of electrical energy surged through his body. The beast dropped to his knees and offered no resistance as Lei put
Similar Books
