"Lucian! Get up!"
Damn it, if only I could!
Lucian forced the air sharply out between his teeth. How could this have happened? What had he overlooked? The vines had slowed down of that he was certain.
Had he walked blindly into a trap? Had the Verdani merely been waiting for Lucian to believe he had gained the upper hand and then to strike the final blow – at the exact moment when his guard was weakest?
He had to cough, which caused another surge of blood to spill from his wound. A pulling, searing pain in his chest made him groan.
Damn it, damn it, damn it!
What was wrong with his body? Why was it betraying him at this very moment?
It took all the strength he had left just to lift his head. Even so, he cast a glance over the battlefield.
The pain in his chest began to burn. And he was tired… so tired as he had never been in his life before.
The only thing keeping him awake were his own thoughts, in which he cursed himself.
At last his eyes caught the first movements on the battlefield. The two Drakanians continued to fight relentlessly. Even so, they were being pushed back piece by piece.
A vine narrowly missed the Drakanian. It reared back and hissed toward his skull at a furious speed. He ducked at the last possible instant. At the same time, he brushed a plant with his claw. As soon as his fingers touched it, a loud crack rang out.
The sound reminded Lucian of when he had walked across a frozen pond as a child. It was the same noise that occurred when ice fractured or even broke.
From the point of contact, frost raced down the vine at great speed. On the ground, it ultimately froze into a single, solid strand.
To his right, he spotted the Drakanian woman. She proceeded with brute force, slicing through the vines with her sharp bones until they gave way. Her movements had clearly grown slower by now, but Lucian thought she was still holding her ground remarkably well.
His eyelids gradually grew heavy.
What about Jarek?
He searched for him feverishly and finally found him. Jarek was fighting his way toward Iska, panting as he dodged the vines. Then the earth in front of him practically tore itself apart. Creeping plants shot upward, and within a heartbeat, he stood before a dense wall of green.
Jarek cut through the obstructing plants with a single, precise strike. He moved so quickly that, despite their clear numerical advantage, the vines did not even succeed in grazing him.
A faint smile formed on Lucian's face. He was fine. What else had he expected? It was still Jarek, after all.
But then Lucian's stomach clenched sharply.
Right, it was still Jarek. That meant this fight could not last any longer than necessary…
Using his arm, Lucian pushed himself up from the ground. The arm began to tremble violently, and he fell back again, gasping for breath.
Damn it!, he cursed inwardly. What was wrong with him today? His body should have long—
Suddenly, the ground burst open behind Jarek, and new vines appeared. They shot straight toward his unprotected back.
Lucian had to warn him somehow, call out to him. But the only sound that escaped his throat was a faint wheeze.
Then a bang echoed across the courtyard, followed by a slight tremor. A flash of light flared up and forced Lucian to squeeze his eyes shut. Even after he opened them again, he saw little more than a few white, blinking spots at first. When they finally faded, dense black smoke took their place.
Was that an explosion? No, the ground had remained far too calm for that.
A few moments later, the smoke thinned. Jarek was still fighting against the tangle of vines. Completely unharmed. In the meantime, he had even gained more ground.
Lucian let out a breath of relief, but then a violent coughing fit seized him and made him double over. Bright red, foamy blood dripped onto his lap.
"Lucian, can you hear me?" Jarek called.
Of course I can hear you, he would have liked to answer, but he could no longer manage more than a twitch of his finger.
This can't be happening…!
His body began to shake uncontrollably. Everything hurt, and what did not hurt had already gone numb.
Damn it. The outlook was shit. He did not have to be a surgeon to recognize that. But why? Why was it not getting better? What was different this time? What had he missed?
He needed more time. He wanted more time. At least a little.
However, there was something stronger than the desire for more time. He wished he had stood up for Nova more. The moment Jarek had made it clear to him that he would have to choose between her and his own family, the decision had been made. He had not even thought about it. How was he ever supposed to face her again? If he were ever given the chance to do so.
What he regretted most, though, was that he had not brought his family to safety before his hands had been tied. Then he would never have had to make a decision like this. He should have seen all of this coming.
Damn it… He could not die. There was too much he wanted to put right. Too much he still had to make up for. This was not how it was supposed to end.
The battle unfolding before Lucian turned into a sea of gray outlines and black blotches. Everything drifted far away. Not only the noise, but even what he could still see. As if he were walking along an endless road. The destination before his eyes, and yet he would never be able to reach it, because he was not moving forward.
"I've got this under control. Go check on him!" Jarek ordered someone.
A black-and-white blur that gave off a rustling sound hurried toward Lucian.
His lungs demanded air, but no matter how often he tried to breathe, he simply could not get any into them, even though his chest rose.
He heard one of the mercenaries, the arcanist, say:
"Commander … I don't think he'll hold out until a surgeon arrives."
Of course not, there's a damn hole in my chest.
"No improvement in sight?" Jarek asked. His voice sounded distant.
"What do you mean, improvement? You can't just recover from something like this—" the arcanist wondered.
But Jarek did not let him finish and shouted:
"Try to stop the bleeding! Delay his death for as long as you possibly can!"
What's that supposed to accomplish? My lung is fucked, and my body isn't responding the way it should… Maybe … this time there's nothing left to be done.
Then Lucian's eyelids closed completely.
"I don't think that's still—" the arcanist tried to object.
Jarek cut him off again:
"Do what I say and make sure he's taken somewhere safer!"
Jarek's voice grew quieter and quieter until all sounds merged into a mass of dull rushing.
Stay awake… Stay awake…
His heart beat one more time. With that single beat, the world around Lucian finally fell apart.
For a while, there was darkness. At some point, countless small lights appeared. Lights filled with memories that streaked past him like shooting stars. They wrapped Lucian in a soothing warmth and made him forget all pain.
Suddenly, he saw his mother, who stroked his cheek and said:
"I know you imagined your life differently. You didn't choose any of this. Neither your path nor what you are. But I'm sure you'll find a way to live the life you wish for."
She gave him a warm smile. Her smile had always been beautiful. As gentle and loving as only a mother's smile could be.
He would do anything to be able to see that smile one more time…
A blink of an eye later, she was gone, and his sisters stood before him instead, proudly showing off their first lost tooth.
"Look! It was just like you said. Eyes shut and through with it, and then it was out!" one of them said.
"That's not true, you cried like a newborn," the other corrected her, sticking out her tongue.
"That's not true at all!"
A heated argument immediately broke out between the two of them about who had cried and who had not.
Those little troublemakers. But how could he not love them? They filled every room they entered with life.
Then they, too, vanished as quickly as they had appeared. All at once, he was sitting on a bench beside Val and Nova. He remembered that day very clearly, even though it had already been over two years ago.
Val grinned crookedly while Nova shook her head with a smile.
"What?" Lucian had asked.
Just as Nova drew breath to reply, Val placed a hand on Lucian's head and another on Nova's, pulled the two of them close, and said with a loud laugh:
"Oh, you two are so awkward! You can't help but like you!"
Lucian tried to wriggle free of her arm, but Val was far stronger and did not give an inch.
Reluctantly, he gave in and asked Nova quietly:
"I said something stupid again, didn't I?"
"A little," she admitted with a grin.
It was not only these memories that played out in his mind. All the ones he had ever made took shape again, as though he were living them a second time. He could meet all the people he loved once more. Spend time with them once more.
Despite everything … I have lived a fulfilled life.
With these beautiful moments in his heart, his consciousness gradually faded. His final thought, however, belonged to one particular person. Someone who had always been there for him, who had kept him from foolishness and had always treated him like a human being.
It was the person to whom his heart belonged. For whom his heart had beaten until the very end, before Lucian finally slipped into the darkness.
When Lucian opened his eyes again, a strange ceiling loomed above him. It was made entirely of stone and supported by rough, splintering wooden beams.
It was also bright. Why was he lying in a bed if it was bright outside? Had he overslept?
But there was no leaden exhaustion, no pressure behind his eyes like there usually was when he woke in the morning. He felt … rested. As if he had truly slept properly for the first time in a very long while.
Wait…
This was a completely different kind of restfulness. One did not feel like this from just a little sleep. Not like this.
Lucian shot upright at once and froze.
That smell!
With raised eyebrows, he turned his head to the side. To his surprise, a man stood there wearing an earthy green uniform. Very similar to the one Lucian himself usually wore.
His head throbbed. How had he ended up here again?
The man went pale and stared at him as if he had seen a ghost. He stumbled backward until his back hit the stone wall beneath the small window.
Then he stammered, one hand pressed to his chest:
"C-Commander…! Y-You … you're a-awake! And … y-you can s-sit up?!"
Lucian's brows drew together. What was wrong with this man? And why should Lucian not be able to sit up?
So he asked him:
"Uh, yes… Can you tell me where I am and what I'm doing here?"
Once again, the heavy, far too present metallic smell pressed in on him, making his pulse quicken.
Lucian found himself in a small room of stone. Opposite him, he spotted another soldier lying on a wooden table that was barely long enough for him, his legs hanging over the edge. He did not move, but Lucian could hear him breathing. Several wounds he must have sustained had already been treated. His head was bandaged, and one arm had been crudely splinted. His nose was bruised blue and purple, and crumpled, blood-soaked scraps of cloth were stuffed into his nostrils.
What in the hell…!
Before he could ask what had happened to the soldier, two more tables caught his eye. One was empty, but covered in dark stains. On the other sat a female soldier with her leg bandaged. She pressed a gray cloth against her forehead, speckled red.
There were wounded sitting on the floor as well. Many of them appeared to have already been treated and looked exhausted.
In the corners of the room, an unusually large number of wooden crates were stacked, as if they had been shoved aside to make more space. And yet the room was packed to the brim.
Beside the soldier sitting on the table stood several men in blood-smeared uniforms. Yet they themselves seemed to bear little or no injury at all. Some held buckets or filthy cloths in their hands, some of which were soaked a dark red.
Just like the man by the window, they stared at Lucian with wide eyes and open mouths. One person had even dropped the towels from their hands. The woman beside them was gasping for air as well when she followed their gaze.
What was going on here? And why were they all looking at him like that?
So Lucian demanded irritably:
"Would someone explain to me what's going on here? Where are all these injured people coming from?"
At last it was the man by the window whose hoarse voice addressed Lucian after clearing his throat:
"Commander … are you not in pain?"
Pain? Why would he be in pain?
Lucian turned toward him:
"What? Why would I—"
He fell silent when the man pointed at Lucian with a trembling hand.
For a few heartbeats, Lucian blinked several times in quick succession before looking down at himself. Beneath the open uniform, he discovered a cloth bandage tightly wrapped around his chest. Hardly anything of its original gray remained. Almost all of it was covered by a deep, dark red.
When had that happened? Lucian was sitting on one of the rough wooden tables, just like the other injured people around him.
Shit…
As the color drained from his face, realization dawned on him. The fight against Iska and the being Jarek had called a Verdani surged back into his mind.
But why had he lost consciousness in the first place? Why had his body taken so long?
Now he also understood why he felt so rested. Even so, it did not fit with his previous experience. The last times, the effects had never been this severe. Why was it different now? Was it because he had nearly died?
He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. It did not matter. That could wait.
Immediately, he tugged at the cloth bandage and jumped down from the table.
Beside him, someone cried out in a high-pitched voice:
"No! Don't do that!"
Doesn't make any difference now anyway, Lucian thought sourly.
Ever since the moment he had sat up, very much alive, on that table, there had been no going back. If he was going to go under, he could still make himself useful once more. At least one last time.
The others in the room protested as well, and someone even tried to stop him, but when he tore the bandage apart with one final, forceful tug as if it were a piece of paper, they instinctively froze.
"How can this be…" one of them croaked.
Another whispered:
"Where … did the wound go?"
Under their gazes, Lucian's body visibly tensed.
"What about the others? Are the two from Magura still here?" he asked.
He slammed the torn, blood-soaked cloth down onto the table.
How long had he actually been unconscious…?
Just as a man was about to answer, Lucian called out:
"Have they already entered the building?! Did they take the Flame Hunter with them?!"
The soldier shook his head and replied in a trembling voice:
"N-no. Commander Liard has been able to prevent that so far, but…"
He did not continue. Instead, he turned his face away, the corners of his mouth drawn down.
The fact that Nova had not fallen into Magura's hands should have calmed him, yet the 'but' at the end made nausea rise in him.
Lucian grabbed the man by the collar and pressed:
"But what?! Answer me!"
"Doesn't look good," the man continued, startled.
Lucian released him and forced his way past the people toward the door.
Behind him, the soldier called out:
"Commander, you were severely injured. You should not reenter the fight! At least let the surgeon take a look at you!"
But Lucian was already out the door, racing at full speed down the dim corridor. A single thought drove him on: Jarek.
Shortly thereafter, he reached the courtyard. He had been much faster than the last time, and yet it had felt like an eternity.
A cold wind met him, carried on the sharp smell of blood and smoke.
The courtyard looked like an entirely different place. It was completely devastated and riddled with craters, some of which were still giving off smoke. Hardly anything of the paving stones themselves remained. Charred earth and vines were scattered everywhere. Of the living creepers, there was no sign at all.
Only in one single spot had the paving stone remained intact. Exactly where Iska was standing. The very same place where he had already been standing when the vine had struck Lucian.
The Verdani stood beside Iska. Just as at the beginning.
Where is Jarek…?
Once again, Lucian's eyes swept across the courtyard until he finally found him. Alive. Just barely.
Although Jarek's breathing was labored and he was coughing constantly, he was the only one who had stood up to the two attackers. He was abusing his sword as a support just to remain on his feet.
From the corner of his eye, Lucian noticed Fenn's subordinates, which made him snap at them:
"Why are you letting him fight alone…"
Toward the end, his voice broke off.
Before the steps in the entrance area, the wounded were lined up. Far more people were lying on the ground than were still able to stand. Even Captain Fenn was among the injured. Her eyes were closed, and blood seeped down her forehead, but her chest rose and fell.
Whether Fenn's people had wanted to support Jarek or had been dragged into the fight against their will… He could not fault them. They had clearly fought.
Lucian leapt down from the steps in a great bound, past the many astonished faces, and hurried to Jarek.
Before Lucian could even open his mouth, Iska turned to him with a smile:
"Then my assumption proved correct. It was only logical to set my sights on you first."
Lucian ground his teeth. Assumption?
Jarek wheezed:
"That did … take a while … this time."
A rattling cough seized him, followed by a few drops of blood that remained on his hand.
Lucian felt as if someone had struck him in the stomach.
He said to Jarek:
"You need to take a break! Remember what the court physician said!"
"There's no … time to rest. We have to … separate them. Only then do we … have a chance… But now, after your … injury, we should—" he replied, but then a heavy coughing fit cut him off.
It was not the first time Lucian had seen him like this. Jarek should not have been fighting anymore. But he was a man who did not send his subordinates to the front alone. Although Lucian admired this trait in Jarek the most, he hated it just as much.
"I already offered to end the conflict, provided he handed over the Flame Hunter to us. Regrettably, he has so far shown himself unyielding," Iska explained.
He spoke almost gently, as if he truly regretted it. Then Lucian realized that this man was surely the last person who would regret anything sincerely. After all, he had come here to threaten them with war.
While Jarek tried to catch his breath, Iska seemed to wait patiently. He remained where he was, observed everything attentively, and gave no commands to the Verdani beside him.
Lucian could not make sense of why he did so. To him, Iska was a thoroughly peculiar person.
As if merely to pass the time, Iska asked Lucian:
"May I ask how it came to be that you managed to survive for so long in a world like this?"
A barely perceptible tremor ran through Lucian's fingers. Iska raised an eyebrow, yet continued to look at him with faintly flickering eyes.
Is he seriously trying to make conversation with me now?
But since Jarek's breathing had steadied somewhat and he was coughing far less, Lucian decided to play along for a little while.
He replied:
"I don't know what you mean."
Iska laughed, shaking his head, crossed his arms in front of his chest, and rested one hand against his cheek.
Then he said with a chuckle:
"So we are dispensing with formalities? Truly unusual. Very well. I have no objections."
Lucian's gaze darkened.
"Although … if I take your familiarity into account, it does explain how you managed to remain unnoticed in this land. The head covering also speaks for itself," Iska remarked, extending his index finger toward Lucian and glancing at Jarek for a moment.
Lucian was already seething with heat. How dare he insinuate such a thing about Jarek? Iska was not only alluding to a serious crime, he was portraying Jarek as someone who had abused his authority.
Jarek pulled his sword from the ground, straightened, and cut in with a mocking undertone:
"Are you finished with your little tea party? I don't have all day."
Lucian reached for the sword in Jarek's hand, whereupon Jarek looked at him with lowered brows and tightened his fingers around the weapon.
When he still did not let go, Lucian placed his free hand over Jarek's.
He urged him gently:
"Give me your weapon. I don't have one anymore."
You'll get yourself killed otherwise.
"Find your sword or borrow one from the others," Jarek snapped at him grimly.
"Don't be so stubborn. Now give it to me," Lucian insisted and tried again to take the weapon from him. But Jarek's grip remained ironclad.
So Lucian added quietly:
"Let me fight for you. What else did you appoint me your deputy for?"
Jarek's brow creased.
He said:
"That was merely the official reason and does not mean I intend to let you fight my battles. Now hands off."
He freed both his hand and his sword.
Lucian snorted. If only he could bring this man to his senses.
Then Jarek added calmly:
"Besides, we both know you don't need a weapon."
When Lucian hesitated, Jarek gestured toward the injured troops behind him:
"You don't need to worry about them. I'll handle that. Fight with your full strength. Otherwise none of us will survive this day."
In front of everyone present? Did Jarek truly intend to do what Iska had hinted at?
He followed the gesture. Lucian had already been wondering where the three mercenaries had gone.
The tall Drakanian lay among the wounded humans. Beside him sat the Drakanian woman, clutching one arm and breathing heavily. Beads of sweat had formed on her forehead. Lucian found the arcanist beside the steps, sitting with his back against the wall. His head hung forward.
For a fraction of a breath, his eyes met those of the Drakanian woman. She pushed herself up and moved toward Lucian and Jarek.
Lucian turned back to Jarek:
"No, if they find out that you knew…"
He broke off and pressed his lips together. There had to be another way. Some way…
"First, Aurel knows about it as well, and second, we will talk about this later," Jarek said sternly.
Lucian clenched his fists. He respected Jarek more than anyone else and usually always listened to him. But … how could he ever allow him to do something like this for him?
Jarek briefly touched Lucians shoulder and whispered:
"Just trust me."
For a brief moment, Lucian's heart seemed to stop. Then he took a deep breath and replied:
"Fine. I'll do what you say."
Jarek had always been reliable. He had never made a decision lightly. He deserved Lucian's trust in him and in his plan. So Lucian pushed his doubts aside and focused on the here and now. And in the here and now, everyone's survival had the highest priority.
Jarek addressed Iska:
"You've been waiting all this time anyway. Do you mind if I bring my subordinate up to speed before we kill you?"
Lucian grimaced.
Don't provoke him carelessly, Jarek!
But Iska merely smiled.
He spread his arms, his palms turned upward, and replied:
"Go right ahead. This is far too entertaining for me to say no. I still have a little time."
The remark made the heat flare up in Lucian's stomach again. Was this all just a game to him?
"How kind of you," Jarek replied dryly.
Then he said quietly to Lucian:
"I won't last as long as last time. Two, maybe three sword swings if we're lucky. By then, we should at least have taken Iska out."
Lucian nodded.
"I'll help," a rough voice spoke up.
The moment he looked over his shoulder, his breath caught.
The Drakanian woman joined them with her jaw set tight, blood dripping from her sleeve. With her free hand, she held her arm. The sleeve was not long enough to conceal the entire arm and hand.
"Are you sure? We won't cut your pay, even if we fail. All three of you fought well. There's no need to keep going until death. Take a break," Jarek replied.
"No, but if we all die, we definitely won't get paid," she laughed.
"I only caught it out of the corner of my eye, since I was fighting myself at the time … but what happened with your magic when the Verdani caught you?" Jarek asked her.
The Drakanian woman snorted:
"It's a great disgrace, but the bones just … uh, went on their own? That's never happened before."
She shook her head and stared at her feet.
Her magic had failed? Did she not have control over her abilities?
Jarek slapped a hand against his gleaming forehead and muttered:
"Why didn't I realize it right away?"
The Drakanian woman and Lucian looked at him in confusion.
"It was the same with Reno back then. That's the only reason he died … how did I not see it sooner… And it was no different for the arcanist earlier," Jarek explained.
Back then, when Reno died? That had to have been the same day Jarek had nearly been killed and had suffered the lung injury. Lucian had not been present that day, though, and only knew what others had told him. Jarek himself had never wanted to speak about it.
Lucian raised his eyebrows, prompting Jarek to explain:
"At first, the arcanist covered my back with his spells, but then…"
Jarek fell silent for an instant.
"After you were taken out, his magic no longer worked reliably. He said that had never happened before either, and soon afterward he panicked. It went so far that he consumed more energy than was good for him. That's why he's now on the brink of death," Jarek reported.
A brief jolt went through Lucian's body, and the Drakanian woman's eyebrows arched as well.
"So he overexerted himself. But I don't understand what that has to do with her," Lucian said, jerking his thumb toward the Drakanian woman.
She shrugged at Lucian's sideways glance.
"Think about it," Jarek continued his explanation in a strained tone, "her Drakanian magic failed, the arcanist magic failed, and…"
He broke off briefly and touched his chin with his index finger and thumb.
"And?" Lucian prompted, glancing in Iska's direction. He and the Verdani had not moved an inch and made no attempt to launch an unexpected attack.
What strange people…
Were they all like this in Magura, or was it because Iska was so certain of his victory that he did not consider it necessary to attack his enemies when they did not expect it?
"Yours failed as well. Otherwise you would have regenerated much earlier," Jarek finished his thought.
That was true. Lucian had wondered about it himself. But what Jarek was implying was impossible. Aside from arcanists, magic could not simply be erased like that. Certainly not across different species. It would have been something else if Lucian had been an arcanist.
"Wait, you don't mean…," Lucian breathed, clenching his fingers in his hair, which had fallen annoyingly into his face.
"They steal magic?" the Drakanian woman growled, her expression dark.
Jarek corrected her evenly:
"Not steal. Neutralize."
Then he turned back to Lucian and added:
"But apparently only temporarily, or only as long as one remains nearby."
"I thought that was impossible except with arcanists," Lucian replied.
"Even then it is only possible to a limited extent, if the magical specialization is compatible with that of the other arcanist and if one of them…," Jarek clarified, but when he noticed the baffled expressions on Lucian's and the Drakanian woman's faces, he did not finish his explanation.
"Never mind," he sighed. "In any case, I don't think the Verdani possesses this ability. It must clearly be Iska… However, I have no idea how he does it. There isn't even a magic circle appearing that I could read."
"Doesn't matter," the Drakanian woman waved it off.
"Jarek, we need to hurry. I don't know how long… You know," Lucian urged and glanced at the Drakanian woman with narrowed eyes.
"Yes, Lucian, I'm aware that we're short on time, but we need this information before the fight. The more we understand our enemy's abilities, the better our chances of winning," Jarek replied.
The Drakanian woman said:
"Then quickly."
"If Iska truly is the trigger, then he is subject to limitations. Among other things, how many people he can apply this ability to at the same time. I would even go so far as to say he cannot apply it to multiple people simultaneously. Otherwise they would have overrun us long ago," Jarek told them as he turned his sword in his hand.
"Lure the Verdani away from Iska and keep him busy until I kill Iska," Jarek ordered, taking the weapon in both hands as if preparing himself for battle.
Lucian froze, his stomach tightening painfully.
"You want to fight him completely on your own?" he asked quietly.
Jarek nodded:
"Since I was born a Leonis, I am more resilient than ordinary humans, but not dependent on magic. I do not even have any. It therefore makes the most sense for me to take Iska's head while you stay as far away as possible."
That does not make you immortal by any means, Lucian thought.
"Even if we kill him… What would stop Magura from simply sending new people? Or declaring war outright?" Lucian objected.
"That can happen. Magura is powerful enough to wage war against a country like Grania," Jarek replied, a crease between his eyebrows.
"But…," Lucian wanted to argue, then fell silent as Nova came to mind.
"Aurel has given me the order to secure the Flame Hunter at any cost. It has to do with the future of our realm. Aside from that … if we give in, Grania's sovereignty is threatened. We will have to face this danger. If Magura truly wants war with us, it will break out one way or another," Jarek said.
Secure her at any cost…, echoed in Lucian's head. What exactly was Aurel planning? Lucian did not believe that Nova was the Flame Hunter, or that she was even a mage. But even if she were … what did Aurel want with her?
Jarek stepped forward to resume the fight. Iska lifted his chin slightly and exchanged a glance with the Verdani.
"There's something else I need to say," the Drakanian woman spoke up suddenly.
Jarek stopped where he was and turned his attention to her.
"That little, stinking brat… I think it was only playing with us and never got serious," she finally explained.
So it had not been just Lucian who had noticed.
"Why do you think that?" Jarek asked.
"The Verdani deceived me by holding back," Lucian added to her statement.
"So the Verdani laid a trap for you," Jarek replied.
For the blink of an eye, he stared at Fenn's people by the entrance, then turned back to Iska.
"I see. Then stay as close together as possible and pull back if getting closer becomes too risky," he instructed Lucian and the Drakanian woman.
"Understood," Lucian replied firmly.
"The break is probably over," Iska sighed and looked at his companion. Two of his fingers twitched faintly, whereupon the Verdani gave a short nod.
A hand signal?
Whatever they had agreed on, this time their plans would not work.
Then Lucian sprang forward. The Drakanian woman stayed close behind him, only a single breath away. Once more, vines grew from the ground everywhere. Far faster than Lucian could blink.
This time, he dodged them with ease. Compared to before, the enemy's movements and his magic seemed distinctly slower to him. As if every moment were stretched. His heart did not even speed up.
Behind him, he could hear the Drakanian woman's rapid breathing in the distance, so Lucian slowed his pace until she caught up with him.
With a radiant expression, she called out:
"If we survive this, you have to tell me your clan. I really want to know!"
Lucian's expression tightened slightly.
A creeping vine that suddenly appeared beside the Drakanian woman grazed her leg. She sucked in a sharp breath and no longer put weight on one foot as confidently as she had just moments before.
"Focus," Lucian admonished her as he tore two vines from the ground that had grown dangerously close beneath him.
Lucian cleared vine after vine from their path, and the Drakanian woman followed him. Gradually, they reduced the distance to a good five paces. The strong earthy floral scent burned mercilessly in Lucian's nose.
He shot forward and covered the final distance as well with a powerful leap. Lightning fast, yet just barely, the Verdani jumped back. The Verdani sent more vines surging upward, using them like a shield.
A cracking sound rang out. With a few precise swings, the Drakanian woman split the vines apart with the bare bones protruding from her arm.
At last, they pressed their target back against the wall of the adjacent building. The Verdani came to a halt before the wall and spun around.
Without hesitation, the Drakanian woman attacked the Verdani with a precise blow to the head. The Verdani jumped aside at the last instant.
The knife sharp bone grazed the hood. The fabric tore, and the hood slipped from the head.
Lucian froze as the hood fell onto the shoulders.
Grass green shimmering skin, dark green hair braided into two plaits, and a startled face were revealed.
If Lucian had not experienced firsthand what she was capable of, he would definitely have been deceived by the innocent appearance.
The Verdani did not only have the stature of a child, but looked exactly like one as well, with the braids and the large eyes that gazed up at him from beneath thick lashes.
Lucian stood motionless. She was so similar to his little sisters… They were roughly the same size, the same build, and his sisters wore braids constantly too. And those huge doe-like eyes made it hard for him to break the Verdani's neck.
He knew exactly how foolish that was. He was aware that someone could die. And yet he was unable to move.
Then vines shot into the air. Lucian snapped back to himself at once and tried to dodge, but he could not move. All his muscles had turned spongy, causing him to buckle.
Not now! Move!
The vines drew back and shot toward Lucian. This time straight for his head.
"What are you doing!" the Drakanian woman cried out in a trembling voice.
Before the plants could smash his skull in, the Drakanian woman knocked them aside. With further blows of her arm, she then cut them down.
The Verdani ducked under Lucian's arm and darted off in Iska's direction.
Damn it!
Lucian tried to run after her and catch up, but his muscles gave out once more. He pitched forward, managed to steady himself with a step, and dropped to one knee.
While the Drakanian woman cut off the Verdani's escape route in the blink of an eye, she shouted to Lucian:
"Stop daydreaming!"
Lucian clenched his teeth, gathered the last scraps of whatever had kept him on his feet since waking, and leapt forward in a long bound. He caught the Verdani by the arm and yanked her back hard, so that her feet left the ground for a heartbeat.
The Drakanian woman let out a relieved breath and clutched her side.
"Sorry," Lucian muttered hoarsely.
The Verdani, who had kicked him in the meantime, started striking his arm. Her blows felt like little more than a faint tickle against Lucian's skin.
Shit, why did she have to look like a child of all things?
When she began to sink her teeth into his skin, he delivered a precise blow to her abdomen. Instantly, the girl dropped to her knees, gasped and spat, then collapsed.
"What are you doing? We have to kill her!" the Drakanian woman snapped at him, shoving him roughly aside and swinging her bone-covered arm to wipe the motionless Verdani from the face of the earth.
Lucian stepped back in front of her and shook his head.
"She can't harm anyone anymore. There's no need to kill her," he hissed.
The Drakanian twisted her mouth as if that were the stupidest thing she had ever heard.
Lucian knew full well how foolish his decision was. And yet … how could he ever…?
He said to the Drakanian woman:
"She could give us important information, so she stays alive. Understood?"
The Drakanian woman lifted her head, shot Lucian an angry look, then waved it off.
"I hope you're aware that if you're wrong, we'll all die. But fine. I'll abide by your word," she growled and lowered her arm.
I won't let it come to that.
Lucian looked around for Jarek and just managed to catch him trying to strike Iska with his blade. Iska retreated three steps. His movements were extremely sluggish. Even Jarek, clearly battered, was still many times faster.
At the second strike, Iska turned aside. But Jarek's blade swept across his upper body, up to his shoulder and neck.
"Keep an eye on the Verdani!" he shouted urgently at the Drakanian woman.
Then he sprinted off, as fast as his weary body could still carry him. He could safely leave the Verdani to the Drakanian woman. Up to now, she had always listened to him or to Jarek and would only break an order if there were no other choice. He was relying on that now. Lucian was certain she would not hesitate to strike the little one down if she caused trouble. For that reason alone, it was wiser to entrust the Verdani to her.
Halfway there, Lucian's knees suddenly gave out. The ground beneath him began to sway, and he stumbled.
Why now of all times?!, he asked his body in desperation.
Even so, he forced it onward. More dragging than running.
By now, Iska's breathing had grown irregular. He swayed to the side more than he truly dodged.
Lucian was still several dozen steps away from Jarek and did not know whether he would ever reach him. Even so, he had to try. The Verdani was out of action for the moment, but he did not trust Iska.
The way he faced Jarek, and completely unarmed… Whenever Jarek threatened to catch him with the blade, Iska did not even flinch. Almost as if he felt no fear.
Such fearlessness, bordering on madness, he knew from Jarek. But Iska was on an entirely different level.
Something was strange, though Lucian did not know what it was. He knew only one thing: He would not leave Jarek alone against an opponent like Iska. This man had nearly killed Jarek once before and might have shortened his life forever.
With every movement Lucian made, his muscles burned, and his bones felt as if they might shatter at any moment. Every breath was agony, as though he were inhaling shards of glass.
Even so, he did not give up. His goal was right in front of him. Just a little more…
Jarek drew back. For a fraction of a blink, the weapon flashed in the light and carved a bright arc through the air.
Come on!, Lucian prayed fervently.
A dull sound rang out, then Iska's head separated from his body. Blood fanned upward. For a moment, the body remained upright before it collapsed and kicked up a small cloud of dust.