Of Phoenix Tears and Demon Blood

2 - Battle

"It's going to be fine," Genevieve scoffed as she tightened the straps on her armor. "We're fought in who knows how many battles and we're all still standing here today."

Her face was the perfect image nonchalance, a sharp contrast to Audrey's pinched features. "You say that, but I'm sure hundreds of us will be dead by the end of today." Audrey said as she picked at her fingernails. Ella turned pale beside Audrey, her body so stiff she looked ready to be blown over by a single gust of wind. I glared at Audrey, who frowned back at me.

"It's fine," I asserted, meeting Ella's eyes. "The first line will take care of most of the Insurrans."

"Our forces aren't that strong," Audrey rebuked.

I stared at Gen, glancing down at Audrey. She got the hint and dragged Audrey out of earshot. Audrey could be difficult when she gets stressed, understandably so, but I can't have her getting in Ella's head.

We stood in the fortress's bailey, the chunk of land only protected by the outermost walls. People bustled all around us – armor clanking and clouds of dust being kicked up by so many countless feet. A squadron matched past us. The sun had only just risen but it was going to be a warm day, one of the last before fall; I could feel the dampness of sweat under my studded leather armor.

Ella watched as the squadron marched past, eyes unfocused. "Hey, Ella, look at me. It's going to be okay. We're not terribly outnumbered and we have a good strategy planned."

Her hands continued to scratch up and down her legs. "What about you? And Gen?"

Someone cleared their throat behind me, and I turned to see a woman. She was slender, with silvery hair and eyes despite her tanned skin – a wind genasi no doubt. She extended her hand, which I shook in return. "You're Althea of Squadron One? I'm Wren, part of the reinforcements from the south. I'm the wind genasi that was assigned to you."

"Yes, I'm Althea." I could feel Ella's eyes boring holes into the back of my skull, I hadn't told her that I had been assigned a genasi, it would only worry her.

Wren continued, "I was hoping we could discuss strategy. My magic is fairly advanced, I am able to deflect projectiles such as arrows with high accuracy; I can also deflect fire and similar magical abilities – anything that is directly carried through the air. If need be, I can stop swords in close combat, but I was informed that you also had a fiend fire-caster assigned to you who would handle ground attacks."

"Yes, Genevieve is our fire caster, I can introduce you," I beckoned Gen back over, who followed with a sullen Audrey on her tail. I introduced them and Wren went over what she told me. "I'll be front and center, Gen works better on my left if you can take my right," I continued.

Wren nodded, then glanced around. The bailey had grown quieter, many of the forces already outside the walls and prepared to march. A final group of soldiers marched past us – from their armor, it was clear they were humans, some of the reinforcements from the south.

A man caught my eye; he stared at us, eyes narrowed as he whispered to his friends that surrounded him. One of his friends looked at me as his hand moved to grab the hilt of his sword. A group of four peeled off from the main group and approached us, the first man at their lead. Gen stepped forward in front of Ella as her hand drifted towards her sword. I narrowed my eyes and broadened my stance. Wren looked at them, clearly confused as I nudged her behind me.

The group paused in front of us. The first man sneered, a gold tooth shining out from his mouth. He spat at us, a wad of phlegm landing at my feet. "Fucking witches," he cursed. His friends cackled behind him.

"Witches!" Another called out. "Demon spawn. You're reason we don't have a fucking phoenix to fulfill the prophecy."

"We're all going to die because you're all bloodthirsty little motherfuckers."