Battlefields: Veil Walkers Book Three

Chapter Seven

Denmark, 1387 CE - South Camp - Namid

Somewhere in the direction of the cinnabar bursts, Namid heard his name. He tried to place the call without looking away from the soldier-demon. The creature had reclaimed its feet in the seconds Namid turned away. When the Veil Walker glanced back, the demon launched toward him with a green lance in his right hand.

Namid dodged to his right at the perfect moment, and the demon's momentum carried him onward. Its lance ripped into a tent and tangled in the cloth. This would have been a perfect opportunity to attack, but the Beothuk man ran instead toward the now-silent location of his teammate. Deza's cinnabar lights had ceased, which meant she had either won her battle, or lost it. He hoped for the former as he came upon the area alongside a growing ring of curious onlookers.

Namid turned one shoulder into the crowd to push his way through. His hat had fallen off during the ambush, and he was thankful he had the foresight to secure his hair before he had donned the cap. The braids and hair that flowed from their tail now drew additional attention. All this added to the already complicated scene. More onlookers meant more witnesses, who could also become potential hostages. And it was never a good idea to have a crowd near with a jumper demon around.

He spotted Deza with her demon straddling her, tightening ropes he had wrapped around her. His teammate struggled and kicked as best she could in her bindings, but there was no way she would get loose from that alone. The onlookers must be frightened, confused by seeing one of their own attacking a small woman. Their stunned states prevented them from interfering, and their bodies blocked his way.

But the demon kept moving, even as Namid tried to force his way through the crowd with his shoulder hurting more every moment. He found an opening and saw the demon pulling the strings tight around her neck. Her face was turning blue. She didn't have long.

Namid made a silencing motion to the two women he slid between. His plan was to cause a scene, which is why he quieted the others and drew a triangular sutra from his pocket. An onlooker cried a warning as he approached, right on schedule. The demon turned right into his waiting attack and the sutra stuck to the side of its head.

The demon howled as the sutra runes glowed a brilliant aqua. It abandoned the attack on Deza, instead scrabbling to get the paper off its borrowed human's head. Namid smirked as he placed his hand on the creature's shoulder. "Be one with the night."

The captain convulsed as the demon emerged, the form of an eagle coalescing in a heartbeat. Namid leapt for it, but it caught him on the arm with talons dripping thick black energy. He flung his arm to be rid of the ooze and knelt over Deza to fight with the ropes around her throat.

"Breathe," he whispered, fumbling with the knotted cord. "Please breathe. I promised Galen." He manifested his aqua kukri knife. It would do less damage if he slipped than his obsidian dagger, and the wound would sear itself shut, but both were poor choices. He cringed as Deza's flesh parted under his energy blade, but it sliced enough of the rope for her to get a partial breath.

Deza coughed and struggled against the guylines that bound her, resuming her battle attempt. Namid tried to hold her down for her own safety despite the pain in his recently injured shoulder.

"It's me, it's me," Namid reassured her as he moved on to slice the next rope moving down along her body, accidentally burning her again as she jerked.

A shadow moved along the tent, illuminated from behind. Namid swirled, anticipating another attack, his weapon at the ready, to find an elderly woman in servant's clothing offering the hilt end of an ordinary dagger to him.

He dispelled his energy and took the offered dagger, staring at the woman in confusion.

"Remember me, Elver, when the Gods ask of this moment."