140 Escape Plan (1/2)

Running back out to the courtyard was basically jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire.

The enemies numbered in the upper twenties. Most of them were kobolds but there were a few pixies in the mix.

\”Muddamit,\” Qwipps cursed.

He notched an arrow to his bow and aimed.

\”What now, Dean?\” Qwipps asked.

The enemies surrounding us had their weapons drawn but they didn't come charging at us. They were cautiously observing us, and I suspected it had something to do with the seven kobold bodies lying cold on the grass between us and them.

They'd also blocked the way back to the main house and to the only exit out of the estate.

The sounds of explosions and yelling reached our ears. The battle outside was on-going it seemed, and the enemies at the courtyard were thinking they were keeping us away from our rescue. How wrong they were.

I faced right and turned my gaze on the cliff's edge.

\”Any second now,\” I whispered.

Any second turned into a full minute and still nothing was happening.

\”Dean, our hosts are getting restless,\” Aura said.

I sighed right before I raised my falchion forward.

\”Enna, remind me to kick your cousin in the butt for taking his sweet time,\” I said, pointing my shadowblade's tip at the enemies in front of us. \”We'll have to hold out until Thom's team gets here.\”

\”Easier said than done,\” Luca answered, pointing his own broadsword toward our enemies.

\”We can do this,\” Pike piped in. \”Four for each of us.\”

\”Someone's optimistic,\” Qwipps added dryly.

\”Better than being too negative, Qwipps,\” Varda added.

She pulled out her one-handed war hammer and raised it aloft in one hand while her other hand had reached into her pockets and produced another smooth pebble.

\”Four each sounds doable,\” Varda agreed.

\”No, it isn't,\” Qwipps shot back. \”Not in this enclosed space.\”

\”You people talk too much,\” Enna reiterated as she raised her katana forward.

We hadn't planned it, but Enna's banter-ending-counter was the moment we all decided it was time to attack.

Luca and I both rushed forward. Enna and Pike followed close behind us.

At the same time, a firebolt and arrow flew past us and reached our enemies before we could get in range.

Aura's firebolt flew straight into the mouth of the lead kobold just as he was barking orders at his companions.

Let's just say he won't be barking any orders after that.

Qwipps arrow, on the other hand, struck the arm of one of the archers at the back of the enemy formation. Just in time too as that pixie was about to fire an arrow aimed at me.

Luca reached the enemy first. I'd like to think it was because Aura's fiery blessing was giving him a boost because I just didn't want to admit that he had longer legs than me.

Blood gushed out of the fatal wound, spraying Luca's face in red.

Pike was right beside him and hacking at the arms of a kobold who'd raised its halberd to attack Luca.

And while this kobold who'd just lost his arms screamed in pain, the rest of his fellows quickly recovered from our surprise attack and launched a counteroffensive that would have overwhelmed Luca and Pike if Enna and I hadn't reached them in time.

I plunged my falchion's shadowblade deep into the chest of another kobold warrior, but the bastard wouldn't die and instead tried to bite my head off with its canine fangs.

So I pulled my falchion out of his chest, and with my next move, I cleaved his Doberman head off his shoulders with a sideswipe.

As the head rolled to the ground, I spared it a momentary glance, and despite my frustrations over failing to save Ty, I still felt that painful pang in my chest at taking another life.

\”Dean, focus!\” Aura yelled.

I raised my head in time to watch a firebolt slam into the shoulder of the pixie that had flown down toward me with its sword raised.

\”Your attacks sting but don't actually hurt me!\” It roared in mid-air.

A second firebolt struck it in the gut, causing it to double over in pain.

\”Stop that!\” It screamed.