The War (All Chapters + Synopsis)

Chapter 2.2 - Lues

We land in the field, between our army and their army.

My sister's second comes up to pass her a note as our feet touch the ground. Ilena reads the note and nods her thanks to her second. Obviously I ask her what it says, but she just shakes her head as if to say she'll tell me later.

Drums beat, nearby and in the distance, horns blare, and the battle commences. With a quick nod to me, Ilena vanishes. I pull out my weapon of choice, ironically Amalia Crestman and I like the same type of sword, rapiers. When the ambro-human army sees me rising into the air with my weapon drawn, recognizing me by the glimmering gold crown on my head, some of their soldiers try to run. Not that it'll do them any good.

I twist my blade to test the balance, though I already know it will be perfect. Archers and ambro mages try to fire at me with arrows and magic, but with a flick of my wrist, the mages and archers are engulfed in flame along with the arrows. I lean back and land with a "BOOM!," on the ground before the forces of the Holy Collective. Some of the ambros try to cast spells at me but I cut through their magical circles with a cloud of iron dust that chokes everyone unfortunate enough to breathe it in.

Their horses start neighing in fear, and some even buck, flinging their riders from their backs. Some horses obey their riders though, and those riders obey their orders to come for my head. I snap my fingers and the ground yawns open beneath the soldiers directly in front of me, swallowing them whole.

My sister reappears in the back, behind the enemy. Her sword isn't drawn but her feathered black wings are spread wide. The soldiers behind me march into the fray, staying in formation. My sister's soldiers attack the enemy from behind, and soon they are caught in the alley between two advancing sides of the same army.

My sister claps her hands together and a swirling mist begins to form around her. Lightning cracks in the cloud that she's just created. Chaos breaks in the center of the enemy's ranks.

For years, my sister has sent her infiltrators into the ranks of the Holy Collective Military, sometimes she is the infiltrator. In this battle, my sister's magic is the signal, for the infiltrators to give away their positions by attacking from the inside.

Before too long, this battle is a three-front fight, and the enemy stands no chance. Screams echo from where my sister is hovering, her eyes shut in concentration. Her magic spreads, folding over the rearguard of the army. The overwhelming stench of death only grows the more time passes. My watching the violence unfold costs me precious seconds in moving out of the way as a single soldier charges at me, rapier drawn.

"Amalia Crestman, what a pleasure to meet you at last," I say, hoping that she doesn't catch my slip-up.

"I'm afraid I can't say the same, you murderous bastard!" She responds angrily.

She lunges, and I parry. She spins on her heel and sends her blade in an arc to knock me off balance. I dance out of the way of her blade. I feel a blast of cold air brush against my skin, but it doesn't feel natural.

"So the rumors are true, you've inherited your mother's affinity for magic without a medium, but can you use it to fight or just to tickle me?" I taunt Amalia, and anger distorts her face.

Another blast of cold air tries to catch me off guard, but I'm ready for her magic this time. My wings unfurl as she tries to send me careening through the sky. I land behind her and spread fire over my blade with my magic.

She spins to face me, only to find that I'm already behind her again. I tap my blade to the ground, and the ground melts into a circle around Amalia's feet. Iron bars start to grow from the ground, and Amalia swipes at them to no avail. She leaps from the forming cage, right into the waiting arms of my sister.