Frozen Summer

Chapter 43

Richard threw a knife towards Felix and rushed forward, the guard sidestepped the projectile and parried the incoming dagger aiming at his face from above. Richard dropped his dagger from his right hand and catched it with his left, he then aimed at Felix's flanks. To deflect the dagger Felix rotated on himself and threw Richard behind him. He landed on his chest and rolled on the ground to evade Felix who was trying to pierce through him, each strike was only striking the wooden floor, finally Richard stood up and jumped on a nearby table. For a second he managed to spot his friends in the general chaos, luckily Malik was being helped by the boys against the soldiers but the longer this fight was lasting the less the advantage of the number would help because despite having more allies, the patrons defending the tavern weren't trained soldiers and Richard could already see many of them laying dead on the ground. Felix also jumped on a table near Richard, the two men stared at each other, Felix could not repress his smile which was off putting to Richard.

" What's so funny ? "

" You don't know it yet but you have already lost. "

" And how do you know that ? "

" Like I'm going to tell you. "

" Then shut up and fight ! "

Richard stepped on a stool and a chair to reach Felix, the two of them fought jumping from one table to another, both evading each other strike, engaging in this valse of death. Felix aimed at Richard's right foot, lifting up his leg and stepping on the blade instantly, he managed to block the sword, he then elbowed Felix right in the face, causing him to fall off the table onto the ground. Before Richard could jump to finish him, another soldier emerged from the fight and tried slashing at his legs, he evaded the blow by putting his hands on the soldier's shoulders and jumping over him, he landed behind him and didn't even look at him when he plunged his dagger in his neck. Focusing on Felix again who was now standing and had taken his sword in hand again, Richard figured speed was his best ally, he crouched and focused his magic into his legs, ready to let it all out in one go. But when he tried releasing it, a sudden headache took over him and he had to put a hand to the ground to not fall completely. " What's happening to me ? I feel sick. Is it poison ? " . Seeing his sudden weakness, Felix stepped in to strike, Richard reflexively jumped backwards to evade and stumbled on a body, he fell backwards and landed on his back. The feeling of vertigo was the same as when he overused his magic to break the rune, slowly but surely, soldiers were realising his movement were getting sloppy and more of them were jumping in to strike at him.

 Now Richard was only evading and not attacking, using every ounce of strength he still had; he ducked, rolled, jumped and evaded as much as he could. He painfully dragged his body up the stairs of the inn, thinking he could reduce the flow of enemies coming his way in a smaller space. At the top of the stairs he saw a soldier empale a patron and throw him aside. When he saw Richard he lifted his sword to slash him downward but Richard grabbed his wrist first. He then twisted his arm behind his back and kicked him down the stairs towards the rest of them. He staggered into the halway, trying to keep his balance he leaned on the wall to his left. " When could they have poisoned me? I didn't even get scratched, and it could not be in the air because other people would be affected. ". His vision was starting to get blurry, on his right he could see soldiers coming up the stairs, he pushed himself off the wall to evade the sword coming for his head and ducked under it, he then leaned backward enough to evade the following hit. He stepped in and kicked the soldier in the chest to gain some distance between them " I have to blast them all in one hit. ". Taking a few steps back, Richard held his palm in front of him and focused on it, in his head he pictured a giant fireball forming at the end of it, time slowed down, his breathing changed rhythm. The soldiers were taken aback, wondering what he was up to, Richard could feel the heat in his palm, when he released all the energy from his palm, all of it came back shocking through his body an excruciating pain. He fell to his hands and knees and threw up. " What's ... happening to me ?! ". Even in his current state he rolled to the side to evade another strike, his magic was failing him and he could not understand why. He stood up against the railing and looked backwards, Malik was fighting Felix in the room, from where he was standing he could see a soldier coming to strike his friend in the back.