214 Sword and Shield (2/2)

I actually drew a line in the sand behind me with my falchion for emphasis.

”This is where our fight begins!” I said, raising my voice while at the same time pointing toward Garm with the tip of my sword. ”And this is where they end!”

The Ravagers were the first to yell in unison. ”Foolhardies!”

This was followed by the raising of a thousand spears in the air from the first, second, and third line.

Garm's soldiers were quickly bridging the gap between us. But our morale held steady.

”Let's earn our shields, brothers!” a pilgrim on my right yelled.

”We will be baptized through the blood of our foes!” a pilgrim on my left yelled.

”We'll kill em' all!” someone behind me roared.

”Death to the fay!” another answered.

Less than forty yards separated us from our enemy now, and the anticipation was reaching boiling point.

”Damn, these pilgrims are intense,” I chuckled just as Ian passed me a spare spear. ”I like it.”

Garm was close enough now that I could see his pearly white teeth grinning maniacally at me.

”Vengeance for Luca,” I said.

”For Lira and Lawrence,” Ian added.

”For Marco, Paulo, and all the rest,” I agreed.

Garm raised his greatsword high with one hand, and for that single moment, it felt like the whole world went silent, almost as if time had suddenly stopped. Then he lowered his greatsword in our direction, and his men began to charge.

”Hold!” I yelled.

The enemy was around twenty feet away now running at full speed toward us, their weapons raised and ready to cause some damage.

”No matter what, we hold this line!” I yelled again.

The enemy was fifteen feet away now, and their faces were a mixture of rage and contempt for me and mine.

I closed my eyes then and searched for the power hidden inside me. When I opened my eyes once again, the great cluster of soldiers in front of me — these runners who were barely ten feet away now — all of them had suddenly stopped moving.

Yeah, I'd just cast Basilisk's Eye on all of them, which, with my recent growth could now affect all enemies within a wide cone of ten feet in front of me. But this move was definitely going to cost me.

”Step forward!” I yelled despite the sudden surge of pain shooting up my eyes.

We all moved as one, and as one, we stepped forward and sent our spears straight into the chest of the immobile enemies, killing them instantly.

Their comrades didn't like that one bit. Those who avoided my gaze continued their charge and rammed their shields against ours.

”Brace for impact!” I yelled.

Wham!

I felt a heavy weight slam against my shield, then another, and then another. It was like bracing against a great wave, and I could almost feel myself give way to it. But then I heard the grunting from the men beside me, and saw that they hadn't given in. So how could I?

I gritted my teeth, pressed against my back foot, and pushed my shoulder forward — and this time, I felt the wave waver in front of me.

Without looking over my shield, I thrust my spear forward and felt the shadowblade sink deep into someone's flesh. Unfortunately, the weapon had embedded itself too securely on my opponent, and I lost my grip on it as I was pushed back once more.

”Enough of this,” I hissed. ”Ian! I'm going to go wild! Plug the hole!”

”Roger, Commander!” Ian answered. ”Give them hell.”

I reactivated Fool's Insight a second time, and felt that surge of pain rise up my irises once more. Still, combat mode was the least straining of my gift's abilities and it was exactly what I needed in close quarters combat.

I slammed my shield forward one last time just before I let it go and pushed kicked it onto whoever was bracing against me. Then, as my left hand was finally free, I punched the first face that popped out at me right before I drove my falchion into his chest.

”Commander Dapper's on the move!” Ian yelled. ”Someone plug the hole!”

I pushed past our line and slice into one, two, and then three soldiers, and was already moving forward before their bodies dropped to the floor.

My intention was to carve a bloody path that would ease the pressure on my men and then flow back into the shield wall. Fine a new weak spot in our line and strike out again.

Sadly, Garm just wouldn't accommodate me.

He'd appeared from above, a giant shadow blocking out Idunn's light momentarily just before he touched down right in front of me with his greatsword slashing down at my head.

Instead of leaping out of the way — which still would have gotten me hurt — I stepped even closer to him instead and sent my falchion crashing up to the spot right above his greatsword's hilt. This effectively stopped his attack midway.

Our shadowblades locked. He glared at me. I glared back at him.

”Fancy meeting you here, Great General!” I said.