96 Ride Like the Wind (1/2)

Xanthor Xor was cool enough to retrieve Myth Chaser for me after I'd jumped Azuma and threw us both off our mounts. Once our fight with the Immortals ended, he led the swifthart to me before lecturing me with, ”Jumping off your ride while in a high-speed chase is crazy dangerous, boss man.”

”Yeah... it was pretty reckless,” I admitted as I took the reins from him. ”Thanks for watching my friend here.”

I spared a few seconds to inspect Myth Chaser to ensure no harm had come to him during our cavalry battle. Luckily, even with my slightly blurred vision, I found no visible wounds, and my friend seemed cheery enough when I patted his neck.

Placing one foot on the stirrup, I boosted myself up to my seat atop Myth Chaser's back with all the skill of a wannabe cowboy. From this higher vantage point, I glanced down at Azuma, who, along with his men, had consented to remain under guard by some of my Foolhardies and the Darah soldiers who'd just arrived to reinforce us. Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click for visiting.

”My guys will escort you and your viseres to the back-line for processing.” I pointed toward Thom who I'd tasked with leading Azuma and crew to Berrian to begin the process of emancipating them from the Magesong clan. ”He'll take care of you.”

Although Azuma nodded, his eyes warily eyed Thom and his fellow drow like he expected some kind of double-cross.

Thom was no help either. That antagonizing grin of his, the one that made people want to punch him, was plastered on his face while he gazed mockingly back at Azuma.

I sighed.

Aura arrived at my right side on Starlight. Luca and his swifthart, Jade Shadow, took the empty spot on my left. Ashley atop her Dazzler with Varda riding shotgun took position behind me. Xanthor's remaining centaurs and the few riders we had left gathered behind them.

”Edo?” I glanced around until I could find Aura's half-ogre bodyguard standing in front of a group of elves I'd recently dubbed the Inglorious Bastards. Beside him stood their elven leader, Theren Everleaf. Both fairies eyed me with something I'd never seen before, almost like respect. I wasn't sure as my vision still wasn't a hundred percent.

”Why're you looking at me weird?” I directed the question at Edo.

Edo coughed and cleared his throat at the same time as he averted his eyes.

”Don't know what you're talking about,” he insisted. ”It's not like I was impressed with your victory or something…”

His voice trailed off and I couldn't hear that last bit.

”Sure-sure… no need to get so defensive,” I shrugged while giving him a knowing smile I knew would slightly rile him up.

Edo growled.

I wisely chose to ignore him and set my sights on Theren instead. ”Will you guys be able to follow us fine on your feet?”

”We elves have light steps and our strides are swift,” Theren answered. ”You needn't worry. We will keep pace, Commander.”

”Well, that was reassuring,” I whistled.

Finally, a team leader who sounded reliable. I was beginning to think I'd never come across one in the Fayne.

I glanced back at Azuma for one final word, my eyes gazing into his. ”You made the right choice. You'll see.”

Azuma began another coughing fit while he waved me away.

I pulled lightly on the reins to turn Myth Chaser's nose westward toward the other half of the center army's battlefield. But before we galloped toward danger, I looked over to all the Foolhardies who were intent on following me into the breach despite our lesser numbers. And seeing the determined looks on each of their faces made my chest swell with pride.

”Ride… Ride like the wind. Ride as if the devil himself were chasing us,” I said.

And then, without any more preamble, I urged Myth Chaser onward just as I heard Varda ask Ashley, ”Who's the devil?”

We rode fast and hard, and on a swifthart's back, our ride may have been a little too fast. Fast enough for the cold night air to repeatedly slap my face and give me windburn. However, irritated skin and chappy lips were the least of my worries.

In front of us was a wave of blue and gray soldiers swaying forward and backward, tearing at each other with shadowblade weapons that turned the verdant grass underneath them dark with blood. And what little room there was for us to maneuver required a delicate balance of zigging and zagging through narrow spaces filled with walls of sharp-edged blades.

Obviously, this was no place for me and my impaired vision to lead my cavalry so I relied on Luca to bring us all to Darah before it was too late.

Don't get me wrong. I had no illusions about riding in like some white knight to save the day. I knew better than that. I may have contributed my share to our recent victories but a battle among great generals was no place for a young hundred-man commander to interfere in. Instead of helping, I was almost certain we would only be spectators in this final act of this particular war, but that alone had great merit. To witness a fight among such powerful beings—I knew it would help me and my crew become stronger, whatever the outcome.

Of course, I didn't tell Aura this. She still thought we were riding to rescue her aunt—sure, as if Darah needed rescuing. But, stealing a glance at her face and seeing the worry hidden in her eyes, I didn't need our mental connection to know just how frightened she must have been at the possibility of Darah actually losing, however unlikely.

I took my left hand of my reins despite how dangerous that was at our current speed and placed it over the golden bracelet wrapped around my right wrist. I hoped our connection was strong enough for her to sense the happy thoughts I hoped I was sending her way through the bracelet. Well, I might even have hummed a Coldplay track too. Something Just Like You always made me feel good, after all.