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Message: <blockquote data-quote="randomling" data-source="post: 1506143" data-attributes="member: 8432">Jez's StoryFinally, we're riding south in pursuit of the Earthlight. Glancing at Zana, our horses in step as we canter away from the village, I feel hopeful, strong, crackling with energy. The air's cleared since our argument, and the space between us feels like the sky after a thunderstorm - fresh and clean, alive with the smell of ozone. The terrain is as Verity told us. We reach the edge of the trees as the sky starts to darken above us. Apari switches weapons with me, my ordinary bow for his enchanted one. It's a decision that's to save his life. We stop, in range of the mansion and out of the orcs' sight. The four warriors - myself, Zana, Pallas, Verity - stay mounted. Apari ties his horse to a tree stump and disappears from view with a spell. He takes in the distance from our stopping-point to the building, then his voice addresses Zana: "Count to thirty, and then charge." Zana nods. I tense, bunching the reins in my hands as I listen to Zana count under her breath. Twenty-five - we draw weapons. Thirty - we spur our horses on. And we're galloping forward. My short hair sweeps back behind my head. Suddenly I feel Zana's presence go from my side, and, disconcerted, I glance behind. Just a few paces back, she grins at me and salutes. Kursu is gleaming in the last glimmers of sunlight. Soon her horse is beside mine again, keeping pace, right where it should be. Then we're upon them, and they're upon us. Orcs. The customary panic of battle washes over me as I deal the first blow. It's my dirty secret, the one thing I'll never share with Zana: I fear death. But this time the panic sinks away as suddenly as it took me over, and there is nothing left in the world but me and my enemy. I strike truer and harder and faster than I have in my life, and in seconds the ground around us is littered with orc bodies. Zana looks at me approvingly as we both dismount and make for the mansion's front door. Together, Kursu and Tunner take the door down. I step inside; Zana makes for the stairs. As she sets foot on the bottom step, the room fills with sticky strands that bind us both tightly to the spot. Web. I've seen Apari do this. I struggle, and Zana burns her way out. Outside, there are sounds of further battle - the rest of the orcs - and more orcs appear at the other end of the room. As Zana and I escape, we're hit with another of Apari's favourite spells, the patterns stopping us momentarily in our tracks. Orcs - a plains cat, no doubt the demon of the legate in charge - the legate - the channeller. It's too much. Apari stitches my wounds with a spell, but it draws the magehunter's attention and it goes for him. I can't see him, or what it does to him, but I hear him whisper, "Sorry," and disappear. It's down to two of us, Zana and me, back to back. I look at her, and down at my gaping wounds as the fear comes flooding back. I bite it down and force a grin in Zana's direction, knowing I can't swing again and stay standing. It's over, I think - fight together, die together. "See you in the next life, girl," I say to Zana. Seemingly almost independent of me, Tunner slashes forward, but pain grips me like a vice and I strike at pure air. My last sight is Zana's eyes, bright and dark, shot through with defiance and fear. My last thought is that I never told her I was sorry.</blockquote>

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