The Path of Giants, B.T. Narro [the speed reading book .TXT] 📗

me through the air, a wrestling match between many sorcerers with me at the middle. I grabbed and pulled at the energy, descending close to the ground many times, but I could never quite get my feet to touch as my legs flailed.

“We have the healer!” announced one of the dark mages, aiming his hand at me.

I made a wall of dvinia around my rear, and just in time, as I felt an arrow strike my energy near my back. I had to let down the shield momentarily to throw back a few swordsmen charging at me.

I tried once more to free myself by pulling at the energy, but there were too many sorcerers holding me. All I could do was form another shield around my backside as more arrows came at me from where I could not see.

“Fire mage, forget about the elf!” yelled Endell. “Burn the healer.”

The woman pushed a larger man out of her way and was soon just a few feet in front of me. She swirled her hands around as an enormous fireball formed. Everyone backed away, and I still couldn’t move with so many dark mages suspending me.

There was a blast of light, but it wasn’t from the sorcerer’s fireball striking me.

I was thrown back in a surge of heat. As I struggled to my feet, I realized that Leon had come. He had struck the fire mage with his own fireball before she had gotten hers off, and her enormous fireball seemed to have exploded against the ground. I didn’t know where she was now. There was no time to look around.

I grabbed my fallen sword as a horde of swordsmen charged at me. I deflected one attack, then another. An arrow came from behind me, from the enemy archers, but missed. It stuck into the stomach of one man trying to get around my side.

I shot a look over my shoulder to see the archer’s eyes wide with horror. All the other archers started firing at my incoming allies—the Thieves’ Guild. I recognized none of them except for Kataleya, as she charged in with them and made a wide wall of water that absorbed about a dozen arrows.

I returned my attention to my many attackers as I ducked and weaved, deflecting the attacks I could not dodge. It was chaos all around me as people were thrown in every direction. I couldn’t tell if any side was winning as I concentrated on keeping myself alive.

There were too many swordsmen, and I was too damn fatigued. I’d never had a chance to catch my breath.

They came at me from every side. It was as if every soldier in the encampment had descended upon me at the same time. I sidestepped and backed up as quickly as I could to keep them in front of me. One bearded swordsman took a risk, thinking I would let him get around behind me because I was too distracted. I stabbed him in the leg quickly, then got my sword back up to defend myself from a flurry of more attacks.

He hollered in pain, but he didn’t fall. It wasn’t much of a stab, after all. But it did slow him enough for him to give up trying to get behind me.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Charlie melting the metal of Aliana’s cage. I hoped that meant he had already freed Reuben, who had been on the way to Aliana. Charlie and Aliana darted off away from the fight, both of them weaponless. I hoped Aliana would find a bow and Charlie would find his courage. I surely needed both of their help right now

Allies and enemies were all mixed together everywhere I looked. There always seemed to be at least one person tumbling through the air. My enemies wore black uniforms while members of the Thieves’ Guild were dressed in the gray and brown clothing of commoners. Either I had miscounted the Thieves’ Guild earlier or most of them still weren’t here, because there were so many more enemies.

“Just pin him!” said Endell from shockingly close behind me.

The swordsmen stopped trying to get through my defenses, many lifting their free hands in my direction. Dteria struck me from every angle and shoved me against the ground.

“As soon as he’s dead, fend off the archers,” Endell was telling them as they rushed at me with their swords.

“Jon?” Leon yelled from somewhere over my shoulder. He sounded busy but concerned.

“I need help!” I wasn’t afraid to admit. My chest burned with every breath. I might be able to throw one or two of them back with dvinia, but it would use the last of my strength.

I looked over my shoulder to see Leon sprinting at the fifteen enemies all around me. Knowing I had to hold on just a moment longer, I used dvinia to blast back one man about to stab me, then another, then a third. I was completely spent after that.

As Leon arrived, he casted a huge blast of wind that rolled me violently across the ground and blew away everyone else. I couldn’t be sure if I was still in danger as I picked my head up and tried to gather the strength to get the rest of my body up.

Someone with small hands grabbed my arm and pulled me up, then dragged me stumbling away from the fight. I was surprised I still had hold of my sword. Looking back, many of the swordsmen were scattered along the ground. Now it was Leon who was quickly becoming surrounded. The rest of our allies were far back. He had pushed too far forward to help me, but I could see Remi running toward him, ignoring enemies in her path.

“I have to…” I couldn’t talk as I struggled for breath.

“Steady your sword!” Hadley demanded.

I trusted she had some sort of curse prepared, so I lifted my weapon and held it still. There were many swordsmen who had their sights on me, but