The Guardians of Time

Chapter Thirty-Six: Aftermath

Explosions and shouting reverberated around her as Kathryn desperately searched for her husband. She had been looking for him since they used the orbs and he never appeared. As she stood in the middle of the expanse, she started to panic.

Her body ached with the aftermath of battle and her cloak a was torn. She had avoided serious injury thus far and as she looked around the battlefield, she realized that some of the Warriors hadn't been so lucky.

Early on in the fight she felt Rosemarie's essence leave the timeline and now as she looked around, she watched one of Stenos's men behead Brendon. Leyla lay critically injured on the field, blood pooling from a large gash in her side. Torenth, however, was fighting well and he let out a mighty roar as he slammed his heavy hammers into the ground, simultaneously obliterating ten of Stenos's men. She would grieve later. Right now, she needed to find Ayden.

This was it. Around them, the enemy continued to fall. Though they had casualties, Kathryn was surprised to see that the Warriors had gained the upper hand.

Pulling a hand across her dirty face, she stepped over two bodies and made her way toward Leyla. She stopped suddenly, her magic making her aware of an attack coming from behind her. It was the two last of Stenos's men. Using her energy, she jumped into the air and back flipped, landing on the first soldier's shoulders. Immediately, she reached down and stuck her thumbs deep in the man's eyes, gouging them out and blinding him. He wailed in pain as he dropped his weapon and grabbed for his bleeding face. She brought her legs up and jumped from his shoulders.

She landed on her feet between the first man, who was still crying out, and the second who was still running at her. Her aura ablaze, she touched her magic and large whips of pink magic appeared from her palms.

Flinging them in opposite directions, they wrapped around each of the men's waists. With a shout, she pulled. Both men shouted briefly before the weapons cut through them. There was a brief silence before both torsos slipped from their lower halves and hit the ground with a sickening thud. Torenth was the first to meet her.

"Well done, Your Highness." He said as he approached, looking down at the bodies.

"Have you seen Ayden?" She asked him immediately.

"Not since he and Stenos had it out in the neighborhood." He replied.

"He didn't come with us?"

Torenth simply shrugged in response.

Behind him, Leyla moaned in pain and Kathryn moved around him to kneel by her side. The old woman's hair was matted to her head with blood and her face was pale. The puddle of blood that pooled around her told Kathryn that she didn't have long. She was reminded of the day she was shot and as she looked down upon the fallen Warrior, she couldn't help but think that this was how Ayden must have felt.

"I hope Ayden made it home." Kathryn said to Torenth over her shoulder as she stared down at Leyla, tears filling her eyes, and took the woman's hand. "I have to help our people."

"I am....s-sorry, Your Highness." Leyla spoke softly.

"What for?" Kathryn asked.

"I failed you."

"No. You fought well and for your people. I will not allow you to die here on this field, Leyla." She said, moving some of the old woman's hair out of her face.

By now the remaining Warriors had gathered around. Torenth, Thomas and Shad Ren looked down at their fallen colleague their own bodies tired and wounds bleeding.

"What are we going to do?" Torenth asked.

"Gather the bodies of our fallen. We are taking them home with us. I will escort Leyla to the medical wing when we get back." She said, holding Leyla's hand.