Valor and Violence

Leo charged, wobbling a little as he let go of Ferez before finding his balance and building speed. With a mighty roar, he swung his fist into Nezir’s jaw, putting all the momentum and strength behind it he could muster.

The pirate didn’t budge. Leo stumbled back a step, swearing and shaking his hand. He cycled through a couple of rapid breaths, hyping himself up, then attacked again, this time with a sweep kick to the earth mage’s knee. He hopped back, grunting every time his foot brushed the ground, as the earth mage cocked his head to the side, amused.

“It seems tales of your prowess have been overstated, Patriarch.”

“You’ve been talking to the wrong whores then.”

“Hm. Cute,” Nezir said, then lurched forward, going on the offence.

“A few seconds might be a bit generous,” Leo called over his shoulder, his voice tinged with panic as he ducked under a wild swing.

“Nearly… there…” Ferez grunted through his teeth, the Talent in his fingertip fighting his efforts to condense it. As he struggled, Leo darted behind Nezir and stomped on the back of his knee, almost collapsing the leg. Alas, though, not quite. Nezir spun with a brutal back hand, the rocky fist crashing against Leo’s guard, sending him flying.

Right into Ferez.

The pudgy mage smashed through his shoulder, sending him spinning. With a cry, he lost control of the Talent, the magic missile firing wide of its mark and burrowing into the pirate’s shoulder instead of through his heart. He staggered as the firey pellet bored through his armour and into the soft flesh underneath, but he didn’t stay down for long. The earthen armour over the wound peeling away like a living material as he shot to his feet, staring down at the wound. After a few seconds of inspection, his breathing grew deeper and frenzied, before he looked back to Ferez and Leo. The mages disentangled themselves and squared off with the pissed off earth mage.

“Don’t suppose you have enough vital juice for another one of those?” Leo asked.

Ferez stared into Nezir’s crazed eyes as he shook his head.

“Not a chance.”

“Then might I suggest we run?”

“I’m not sure we can outrun an earth mage while underground and without a lick of magic between us.”

“It’s alright. I’ve got one last ace up my sleeve. Move when I give the signal.”

“And the signal will be?”

Leo smirked, gave a self-satisfied chuckle, and sank into a fighting stance, raising his fists to a close guard beside his face. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and started moving. First, he opened his hands, slowly pushing his arms out the sides, before swinging them through opposing arcs until they met in front of his chest. One hand was closed into a fist, the other was open palmed with curled fingers, except for his index and middle finger which were extended towards the ceiling.

He shuffled his feet further apart, sinking deeper into his stance and continuing the wide, slow circular movements with his arms as his breathing grew deep. Ferez and Nezir stared, perplexed, as Leo continued in this manner for a few more seconds until he abruptly changed course, easing both his hands to the small of his back as he stood back up. His eyes creaked open, a serene expression on his face.

“Yah!” he shouted as he snatched the concealed knife from his belt and hurled it underhanded at Nezir. It thudded into the pirate’s still exposed shoulder, eliciting a shriek of surprise and pain.

“Leg it!”

Ferez didn’t need to be told twice. He sprinted down the hallway half a step behind Leo.

“What the Pit was that dance routine about?”

“Well, it wouldn’t work if I just whipped the knife out and pegged it at him, would it?”

“And you thought a stretching routine would?”

“Proof is in the pudding. I got him, after all.”

Eh, he had a point there. Even he had been engrossed, wondering what he was up to. Still, it was so stupid no one except Leo could have ever pulled it off. Loud thumping behind them announced Nezir had recovered and was on the move, giving chase. Heavy footfalls echoed down the narrow hallway, each fresh crash louder and closer than the last.

“We can table the discussion later,” Ferez wheezed, that old familiar sting creeping into his lungs and tugging at his intercostal muscles. “For now, I suggest we focus on running.”

“Agreed.”

They barrelled down the curving corridor, the sounds of their doom growing louder behind them, until the doorway leading to the stairs finally came into view. The mages redoubled their pace, salvation almost within their grasp, as the pirate king screamed behind them. Ferez sensed the surge of magic moments before he felt the ground buckle and sway beneath him. He cursed and fell as the floor rippled, twisting his body just in time to avoid the stone spear that erupted inches from his face.

Turning his momentum into a roll, he sprang to his feet, half falling, half sprinting over the last few feet as stone missiles and spikes erupted around him. Leo made it through a second before him, shouting and beckoning from the doorway. Gritting his teeth, Ferez forced one last herculean effort from his shaky legs, leaping off the roiling floor and sailing through the door as the tunnel imploded behind him. Leo slammed the door shut, threw the bolt and hauled Ferez to his feet.

“No time to sit around, old chap. Onwards and upwards!”

The High Mage shot a glare at his friend.

“How do you have so much energy when you weigh that much?”

“Insulting a man’s weight is low hanging fruit,” Leo gently scolded as he dragged his friend up the stairs. “And have you forgotten? I’m a professional soldier now. Just because I’m chunky doesn’t mean I’m lacking in the wind department. Besides, the prostitutes back home keep me active.”

“I’m sorry I asked.”

They burst out of the stairwell and onto the ground floor, sprinting for the entrance as drunken pirates stirred around them, only to skid to a halt as they burst into the last room. Half a dozen people barred their way, unarmed but clad in drab robes. Face to face, Ferez could sense the magical energies emanating from them.

“Because of course he has a team of battlemages,” he muttered. He did a quick scan of the assembled hair colours. Two Terrans, one Pyrian, one Aquis, one Aeris, and an Aetherian.

“Back to the stairwell,” Leo barked. They shot back through the door as the wall exploded in a conflagration of magic behind them, spitting dust and chunks of earth through the room. The surrounding pirates leapt up in a panic, struggling to comprehend what was happening. More than a few never made it to their feet, the lucky ones writhing as they bled from shrapnel wounds, the other ones quite simply dead. Ignoring the bewildered pirates, the mages shot through from room to room, the battlemages giving chase until they made it to the central stairwell. Leo went up first, Ferez right behind him, until the water mage suddenly stopped. Ferez crashed into him, and opened his mouth to berate the privateer, until he noticed the gang of pirates inching down the stairs towards them, weapons drawn.

“Pit.”

For the second time that day, Ferez made peace with his impending death as he drew the sword at his hip.

“Die on our feet?” he asked, clapping Leo on the shoulder.

“Good plan. Counter suggestion, we don’t die at all, stage a daring escape, and come back later to slaughter them all.”

Ferez scoffed. “I’m all ears.”

“They won’t help. A strong set of lungs will, though, deep breath!” Leo said as he grabbed Ferez’s hand and leapt off the stairs into the churning water below. The fire mage had just enough time to inflate his lungs before they hit the water. The cold jolted through his system and he almost gasped. As the surrounding bubbles cleared, he saw Leo through the water, his head swivelling as he searched for something. Spotting whatever it was, he shot off, stroking down through the water towards the wall. Unsure what was happening but without other options, Ferez followed, trying to keep pace with the Aquis mage who, even without magic, cut through the water like a dolphin. Or maybe a seal. One of the big ones.

He realised where they were headed as a dark tunnel came into view. It was small, barely a couple of feet wide, and he pulled up short as Leo shot inside without hesitation. That wasn’t the plan, was it? There was no way of knowing how long the tunnel was, or even if it would stay wide enough for them to fit. Ferez shuddered as he imagined dying in there. Cold. Dark. Lungs burning for air until the urge to breathe became too much and his mouth opened, swallowing the icy, salty water, filling his chest and smothering the spark of his life.

As he fought the frenzy wrapping its claws around his mind, Leo backed out of the tunnel, feet first, and turned to Ferez. He slapped him as hard as he could, which wasn’t hard given the resistance of the water, but it still achieved the desired effect. They could risk a terrible, ignoble death in the tunnel, or they could choose a definite death on their feet back on solid ground. If it had just been Ferez, he may well have chosen the latter.

But that girl needed him. The image rose in his mind; matted hair, dirty face, dressed in rags. Defiance still blazing in her eyes. If the risk of drowning meant a chance to save her, he would take it. Pit, if he was lucky when he drowned, his body might turn rancid and float back up into the fortress shaft as it broke down, stinking up the place.

He nodded, resolute, and followed as Leo swam back into the tunnel. Despite the determination of his choice, said resolution wavered as soon as he was inside. It was too cramped to swim, and he resorted to pulling himself through, hand over hand. Sporadic protrusions in the rock walls tugged at his clothes and scratched at his skin, threatening to snag him. What little light had illuminated the entrance was quickly swallowed by the water, and he continued on in complete darkness.

His hands moved methodically, drawing him through at a steady mechanical pace, but his senses betrayed him, convincing him he was swimming in place, moving neither forwards nor back, stuck in this interminable limbo even as his lungs burned and his Adam’s apple bobbed. He quickened his pace until his hands bumped against Leo’s kicking feet. Had he caught up to him? Were they still moving? He planted his feet against the wall and sought his friend’s legs again. They were still thrashing, but, anchored as he was, he was now certain Leo wasn’t moving.

He was stuck.

The panic surged into Ferez’s mind again and he thrashed too, the deepest, primal part of his brain demanding he turn around and flee, even as his higher brain functions knew there was no way that could be achieved in the narrow space. It didn’t matter, his mind had shut down all rational thought in a desperate bid for survival.

A wet boot to the face broke the spell. Ferez’s head cracked against the tunnel’s ceiling and he went limp, dazed. After a second or two he shook himself sensate, wincing as pain lanced through his jaw and the back of his head. Still, the blow had probably saved his life. It had given his brain a hard reset, and with it, clarity.

He grabbed Leo’s feet and dragged himself forward, feeling his way up the water mage’s body until he found where the issue was. Leo had managed to wrangle his shoulders through a narrowing, somehow, but now his hips were lodged tight in the space. Ferez got as close as he could, ignoring the discomfort of sharing the tunnel with Leo’s bottom half when it was barely wide enough for one of them, and braced his feet once more against the wall. He found a pair of protrusions to use as footholds, and pushed, his hands sinking into Leo’s squishy posterior.

Gritting his teeth, a bubble of precious air slipped between his teeth as he strained. At first, nothing happened, but then, with terrifying slowness, Leo started to budge. Ferez pushed harder, ignoring his building fatigue and the overpowering urge to breathe, and finally Leo shot through. He disappeared into the tunnel and Ferez followed, slipping through the gap with a little difficulty, but thankfully avoiding becoming stuck. His lungs were all but empty now, and he scrambled, desperate for air as a faint speck of light suddenly became visible before him.

The end of the tunnel. If he could see it, it meant Leo was already out. Which meant it must be close. Arms burning, fingers numb and bleeding and lungs screaming, Ferez finally shot out of the tunnel into open water. There was light above him now and he kicked his legs, frantically stroking for the surface.

The flicker of hope broke his concentration and his mouth opened, sucking in a gulp of water as his body sought oxygen in vain. The saline liquid filled his lungs, and he spluttered, losing the last of his precious air and sending his instinct to breathe into a frenzy. His frantic movements grew ragged, then sluggish as his arms stopped responding to his mental commands. He stretched his fingers towards the light flickering on the water’s surface, just out of reach.

So close. He had been so close.

And then strong fingers wrapped around his wrist, and he ripped him through the water. His body was already working his lungs like bellows as his head broke the surface, sucking down breath after breath, even as his brain struggled to piece together what was happening. Slowly, his senses returned. He coughed, saltwater spluttering out of his throat into the chilly dawn air. An arm was wrapped around his chest, supporting him as his saviour powered through the water in steady, rhythmic bursts.

“Come on, old friend, stay with me now,” Leo said.

His relieved and slightly manic laugh died in his throat as his eyes opened fully to see ballistae bolts arcing towards them. They splashed into the sea all around them, close enough to pepper him with drops of water. He opened his mouth to curse, but a dollop of sea water hit the back of his throat, triggering another panic attack. Borderline delirious and thoroughly past his threshold for rational thought in response to impending death, he thrashed in Leo’s grip. The water mage swore and tried to wrangle his friend under control.

“We don’t have time for this bullshit, Ferez! If you can thrash about, you can swim.”

He let go, and Ferez’s head dipped back below the surface of the water. The cold rushing up his nostrils shocked his body, and he reflexively kicked upwards.

“You dropped me, you arse!”

Leo was already swimming away, but he paused long enough to call back.

“I’m not going to die because you’re acting like a prima donna. Get over it and swim!”

As if to prove his point, another bolt crashed into the surf beside him, close enough for its bow wave to jostle him. He struck away as fast as he could manage, but as more bolts landed around him, he realised he wasn’t fast enough. Risking a look back over his shoulder, he spotted a single bolt hurtling through the air, heading right for him. It was too late to do anything. Whether or not he kept swimming, it was going to run him through.

At the last second, it veered off course, spinning wildly into the ocean as a piercing screech split the morning air. He looked toward the sound to find Windshear diving towards him. Ingrid sat on his back, her hands a flurry of motion as she swatted bolts out of the sky, protecting her and the two mages in the water at the same time.

The mighty predator swooped down, skimming over the waves towards Ferez. It dipped a talon into the water and pulled it out with a wriggling Leo in its grip before covering the short distance to Ferez.

“No! Not again!” he shouted as Windshear bore down on him, unheeding of his protests. His stomach shot into his throat as the powerful claws wrapped around his body and hauled him into the air. The beast’s wings beat hard as it rose into the sky, bolts zipping past in a futile attempt to strike them down.

“Haha! Windy! You came for me!” Leo shouted, looking up at his companion and patting the knobbled digits wrapped around him. The hybrid squawked, and Ferez supposed he must still be delirious from oxygen deprivation because he could swear it sounded affectionate.

“Don’t tell me I can understand bird now, too,” he grumbled.

Another squawk, this one indignant.

“He said shut it or he’ll drop you back into the ocean,” Leo translated.

“Yes, alright. He’s awfully sensitive, isn’t he?”

“He’s a crotchety old man, Ferez. Something I’m sure you know all about.”

“If you two imbeciles wouldn’t mind,” Ingrid interrupted. “I could use some help fending off the onslaught.”

“Sorry, Ingrid. We’re drained, not much use, I’m afraid.”

From up on Windshear’s back, she let out an exasperated sigh.

“What did you two do that left you both out of Talent?”

“Picked a fight with the Crimson Blade,” Ferez replied.

“Did you kill him at least?”

“We did not.”

“Pathetic,” she said, though there was a tinge of something akin to uncertainty in her voice. “Let’s get back to the fleet. We can discuss what to do now you’ve kicked the hornet’s nest.”

“Sounds logical, I- Windshear look out!” Ferez shouted, too late as a spire of stone lanced through the air, ripping through the beast’s wing. It shrieked in pain as it spun, spiralling towards the water. As the sight filling his vision rapidly oscillated between dawn sky and the foaming water and stone beneath them, Ferez caught a brief glimpse of Nezir standing atop his fortress, watching their descent.

And then they hit, his shriek swallowed by the icy depths.