Read Online Feudlings In Smoke (Fate On Fire Short Story) by Wendy Knight - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Wendy Knight
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dangerous—”
“Shut up, Will. I love Ari, too. She's just like a sister to me. I'm not going to stand by while she's slaughtered.”
Will clapped him on the back. He didn't have time to argue, and really, he didn't want to. “Fair enough. How do we find her?” They both looked out over the battle, swarming with thousands of bodies, riddled with screams of the dying as the ground soaked with ash-covered blood.
“You look for the most smoke.”
The most smoke, because Ari moved so quickly and could burn five spells in the time it took a regular warrior to burn one. And if Ari moved like that, it stood to reason that the Carules Prodigy did, also. And the most smoke was, of course, as far away from Will as it could possibly get.
Awesome.
“The way I see it, we have two options. We go straight through, trying not to get hit by stray spells while not fighting back because,” Ward gave him a pitying look, “one spell from you and everyone'll be trying to kill us.”
“Yeah. Thanks,” Will muttered. He could smell the burning flesh now. The smell made him remember why he'd quit the war in the first place. He didn't believe in killing.
But he did believe in saving.
“Or, we scout around, try to stay outside the fight, and see if we can get closer before we cut it. Sounds longer, but it'll probably actually be faster.” Ward smiled grimly at him.
“When did you become a master battle planner?” Will asked, scanning the throes of battle below him. “We'll have to go around. See that cliff?”
Ward squinted, because the smoke was so thick it was hard to see in the distance, but finally nodded. “Yeah, I see it.”
“Ari's below it.”
“You're saying we throw ourselves off the cliff? We're sorcerers, Will. Not birds. Won't do Ari any good if we're dead at her feet.” He rubbed his bald head nervously, and Will belatedly remembered that Ward was afraid of heights.
“No. We aren't going to throw ourselves off it. Just I am.”
Ward snorted. “And leave me looking like a coward? I don't think so. Let's go.”
They backtracked several yards into thicker trees. Sprinting through the close-set branches was difficult, but they'd wasted too much time talking. Will kept his eyes on the smoke, and as they rounded the battle and started climbing the hill that led to the cliff, he could see Ari's bright red flames. There were no matching blue ones, though. Not yet.
The hike on this side wasn't bad. There was the barest hint of a path, like a road had existed here once. Will hit it and started running, focused only on the battle waiting for him on the other side. Too focused to see what was right in front of him.
“Will, look out!” Ward tackled him from behind as a spell blasted over his head, slamming into the trees. Another came just after it, and he felt it slam into Ward, his body heaving. His friend grunted in pain. Will rolled him off, scrambling to his knees as more spells came. There were two Carules just hidden in the shadows. “I got… this. Go, Will.” Ward gasped.
Ari needed him, but he couldn't leave Ward, either. Rage at the war, at the Carules, at the fighting and unfairness and even at Ari for breaking her promise, rage at all these things overtook him and he threw his hands up, flames bursting from his fingers and his palms. The wall of fire raced toward the Carules, too fast for them to move. As their screaming died, Will dug his phone out of his pocket and hit send and started counting down. At “one”, he burned the saldepement into the air and gasped in relief when the doorway shimmered open.
“Will? You found her — Ward!” Dani cried.
“I'm okay. Tell Will… shut the door…” Ward could barely talk through the pain, and Will could see the spell still burning through Ward's thick gear.
Will picked him up under his arms and dragged his friend through the portal. “Call the healers, Dani. I have to go back.”
She nodded, already digging for her phone as Will jumped
“Shut up, Will. I love Ari, too. She's just like a sister to me. I'm not going to stand by while she's slaughtered.”
Will clapped him on the back. He didn't have time to argue, and really, he didn't want to. “Fair enough. How do we find her?” They both looked out over the battle, swarming with thousands of bodies, riddled with screams of the dying as the ground soaked with ash-covered blood.
“You look for the most smoke.”
The most smoke, because Ari moved so quickly and could burn five spells in the time it took a regular warrior to burn one. And if Ari moved like that, it stood to reason that the Carules Prodigy did, also. And the most smoke was, of course, as far away from Will as it could possibly get.
Awesome.
“The way I see it, we have two options. We go straight through, trying not to get hit by stray spells while not fighting back because,” Ward gave him a pitying look, “one spell from you and everyone'll be trying to kill us.”
“Yeah. Thanks,” Will muttered. He could smell the burning flesh now. The smell made him remember why he'd quit the war in the first place. He didn't believe in killing.
But he did believe in saving.
“Or, we scout around, try to stay outside the fight, and see if we can get closer before we cut it. Sounds longer, but it'll probably actually be faster.” Ward smiled grimly at him.
“When did you become a master battle planner?” Will asked, scanning the throes of battle below him. “We'll have to go around. See that cliff?”
Ward squinted, because the smoke was so thick it was hard to see in the distance, but finally nodded. “Yeah, I see it.”
“Ari's below it.”
“You're saying we throw ourselves off the cliff? We're sorcerers, Will. Not birds. Won't do Ari any good if we're dead at her feet.” He rubbed his bald head nervously, and Will belatedly remembered that Ward was afraid of heights.
“No. We aren't going to throw ourselves off it. Just I am.”
Ward snorted. “And leave me looking like a coward? I don't think so. Let's go.”
They backtracked several yards into thicker trees. Sprinting through the close-set branches was difficult, but they'd wasted too much time talking. Will kept his eyes on the smoke, and as they rounded the battle and started climbing the hill that led to the cliff, he could see Ari's bright red flames. There were no matching blue ones, though. Not yet.
The hike on this side wasn't bad. There was the barest hint of a path, like a road had existed here once. Will hit it and started running, focused only on the battle waiting for him on the other side. Too focused to see what was right in front of him.
“Will, look out!” Ward tackled him from behind as a spell blasted over his head, slamming into the trees. Another came just after it, and he felt it slam into Ward, his body heaving. His friend grunted in pain. Will rolled him off, scrambling to his knees as more spells came. There were two Carules just hidden in the shadows. “I got… this. Go, Will.” Ward gasped.
Ari needed him, but he couldn't leave Ward, either. Rage at the war, at the Carules, at the fighting and unfairness and even at Ari for breaking her promise, rage at all these things overtook him and he threw his hands up, flames bursting from his fingers and his palms. The wall of fire raced toward the Carules, too fast for them to move. As their screaming died, Will dug his phone out of his pocket and hit send and started counting down. At “one”, he burned the saldepement into the air and gasped in relief when the doorway shimmered open.
“Will? You found her — Ward!” Dani cried.
“I'm okay. Tell Will… shut the door…” Ward could barely talk through the pain, and Will could see the spell still burning through Ward's thick gear.
Will picked him up under his arms and dragged his friend through the portal. “Call the healers, Dani. I have to go back.”
She nodded, already digging for her phone as Will jumped
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