The Rising Pheonix

Chapter 23

Grant POV

I never imagined I would see Prince Jacobe's magic in battle. Now I understand we were just shot at and Nico is seriously injured, I even had arrows hit me, but I can't help but admire the flames. You can tell they are no ordinary flames as they are not a normal color. His flames are green and red. The colors are interchanging, so you see waves of green and red as the fire flickers. I'm so mesmerized I almost touch it.

However, before I could touch the flames, the sky turn pitch black and it starts raining. I throw my head back and wait for the rain to wash some blood off me, but it never happens. My eyes follow the flow of the rain and I notice it's only raining on Jacobe's fire.

This rain isn't natural and it smells of death. I grip my sword with both of my hands and look through the fire. I'm looking for our opponents, the ones who are too cowardly to face us head-on. Just thinking about how they ambushed us with arrows makes me upset.

I see some movement between the trees and I focus my gaze in that direction.  That's when I see three people walk towards the fire. It looks like they're reading something, but I cannot hear any words. Then I see one of them fall to the ground and the scroll burns to ash. When that happens the flame flickers as if it's starting to go out and the other two people keep reading and stepping closer. Then another person falls and the flames almost go out again. I can only prepare myself because I know the battle will begin the moment the flames die completely.

Briefly, I wonder how Nancee is feeling. She hasn't had the same training as Prince Jacobe and I, since we started our training at the Castle. The training in Heartreach simply doesn't compare.

"Nows not the time to be distracted, Grant," I say to myself while shaking my head, pushing those thoughts aside. As I do that, I see the final person fall, and no sooner than he does, the fire goes out and the rain stops. I stand my ground as soldiers charge at me head-on. I'm able to kill four soldiers quickly before the arrows start flying again.

The arrows have no real destination,  because I have only been grazed, and the main thing it hits is the carriage. It seems they only want to stop me from attacking their men. I ignore the arrows, dodging when I can, and just go straight for the soldiers.

Since I am the only one on this side, I need to prove to Jacobe that I improved since the last time we sparred. As I run my sword through a chest, I feel the ground start to shake and I brace myself. The next thing I know, a barrier made of the earth surrounds the carriage.

Even at a time like this, I'm still amazed at his powers. I don't want to fall behind so I focus more on the ones in front of me. Slashing and cutting furiously, I sever hands, arms, and heads and send them flying. Their blood covers me and their screams bring a smile to my face. It makes me move faster.

I see some movement to my left and I whip my head around, while I stab someone through the throat, and I see someone trying to go to the carriage. I yank my sword free, almost severing the head, and throw it. My sword sheathed itself in the head of the attacker, and they crumple to the ground.

Quickly, so I'm not unarmed, I pull out two daggers and continue fighting. To be honest, I fight better with my daggers. I'll make them wish they never attacked my best friend. In rapid succession, I stab someone in the chest, almost cutting them in half to get my dagger free, slit someone else's throat, and cut off the hand of my nearest attacker. I find the rhythm of the attackers, and I'm able to get rid of them faster.

Then I notice something strange, the soldiers split into another group. They are being attacked from the rear. Who is helping us?  I wonder as I use both of my daggers to decapitate a soldier.