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

I watched with dismay as the enemy archers took out one, then two, then a third of our own archers. The Thieves’ Guild used trees as cover, but they had to come out to take a shot. They were being picked off quickly. This group of enemy archers at the center worked well with the dark mages. They had certainly practiced firing over the invisible wall of energy to strike their targets while using the same wall to make it nearly impossible for them to be hit.

We weren’t going to win this until that group was dismantled, and I had a feeling time was against us, especially as I thought about how I hadn’t seen Valinox since this began. I was sure he was dealing with Souriff before he dealt with us, and it would only be a matter of time before he beat her. I feared she might even die if we took too long before we aided her.

I didn’t see where Leon and Remi had gone. I did find Kataleya on the other side of the encampment, using water as a shield whenever someone got close to her, but she was bloody. I couldn’t tell what her wounds were—she was fighting as if they didn’t matter—but blood covered her arms and stomach. Michael fought close to her, and he had found a sword. I noticed Reuben near Michael as well, the two of them watching each other’s backs. A little ways behind them stood Aliana, now with a bow. She loosed, her arrow striking a swordsman in the chest who had been trying to deal with Reuben.

I didn’t know where Eslenda and Eden had gone.

In the short time it took for me to check on my friends, I saw two more thieves shot. Endell must’ve given the order to take out our archers first, and it was working. Without them, the rest of us would fall quickly. I wondered if someone should give the order to retreat, but there were so many hidden traps we would have to deal with on our way out. Many of us wouldn’t make it.

“The radius of the curse will be small,” Hadley said as she pointed at the stone. “Just toss it into the group of archers, and I’ll take care of the rest from here.”

Peering around the tree again, I wasn’t sure if I could get close. The duo of an archer and a sorcerer had the luxury of just waiting for me while the rest of their army was quickly winning this.

I motioned like I was going to start running out, only to stop and jump back behind the tree. An arrow zipped past me. I ran out for real this time.

I couldn’t resist at the same time that I casted, so I made a choice. I grabbed the archer’s bow and ripped it free from his hands, throwing it back behind me. Nearly at the same time, I was slammed against the ground by dteria.

The bowman ran at me as he drew a dagger. I took out his legs with dvinia. He fell flat in front of me. I pushed the dteria off me. It felt like shoving off a cushion that a large man was sitting on. The bowman got up at the same time, grabbing the dagger and thrusting at me. I picked up my fallen sword and batted it down, then drove the tip of my blade through his stomach.

I left him as he fell to his knees and charged the sorcerer wearing a dark robe. He held only a dagger, but he seemed confident as he sneered at me. He tried to throw me back with dteria, but I resisted. Finally, he showed a moment of panic. He tried to turn and run, but it was too late for him. I ran my sword through his back.

“Shoot the healer,” Endell commanded, and half the archers turned in my direction.

I crouched and made a wall of dvinia in front of me. Arrows pattered against it, threatening to break it apart. Other arrows stuck inside.

There was no hope of disrupting the archers with my own spells, not with their powerful dark mages holding barriers up in front of them. I could only hope Hadley’s curse would do the trick.

I kept up my barrier as I made my way over to them in a crouch. I wanted to get up and run, but I didn’t trust myself to keep my barrier intact with it stretching to cover my entire length.

I muttered a curse as I witnessed the fire mage running toward me. Some of her robe had burned off from the fireball Leon had hit her with, the side of her stomach showing. If she was injured, she hid it well.

I didn’t think I could stop her enormous fireballs with dvinia. I would have to get around her some other way, but letting down my shield of dvinia to lift myself up over her would mean I was vulnerable to archers. She started to form a sizzling ball of heat that grew quickly.

I didn’t see another choice. I had to trust my aim. I chucked the stone Hadley had given me. It arched high, the fire mage leaning her head back to watch it sail over her. A couple of archers looked at it curiously as it landed among them.

The fire mage shrugged and continued to build upon her fireball. I didn’t want to turn my back on her or she would cast immediately, and the fireball was already too large to dodge. My only hope was keeping my wall up and absorbing as much as I could. So long as it didn’t kill me instantly, I should be fine.

Her fire suddenly evaporated, leaving nothing but black soot falling to the ground. There was a strange smell to the air, like wet soil and decay. My wall of dvinia disintegrated almost instantly right after. I tried to make another,