Dark Armor V3 Ch01 SC04

Pallian hit the enemy camp at a full charge, passing between the watchfires as he aimed for the center of the camp. Fires spread out to either side as he passed, rising in lines from Deathbringer's hooves, and Pallian supplemented the chaos by tossing balls of fire further out. Here atop the bluff, the ground was dry and dusty and the wind pulled at everything; well-placed flames could easily spread throughout the camp. 

An arrow skipped off his armor, and the awareness of his helmet turned his attention to a rough tower of roped-together logs near the center of the camp. Another arrow was already on its way.

Pallian reacted automatically, angling his shield and lifting his lance to send a blast of levin-fire at the tower. The arrow glanced off the enchanted metal of his shield, but the lightning -- though bright enough to blind anyone whose eyes weren't protected -- had little impact on wood and rope. 

Damn it. Well, the archer's up there. Now, where's--?

The Shadow of Edrias coalesced out of the darkness in mid-leap, planted both feet on his chest, and kicked. It was probably intended to knock him off his mount, but the Shadow didn't hit nearly hard enough. Instead, she wound up kicking herself off into the air, and he turned the stream of levin-fire on her as she hung there. Her graceful flight became an uncontrolled fall, and she missed being trampled by Deathbringer by luck and inches. 

Pallian reined up and swung down off his mount. The Black Knight wouldn't have another chance like this, not if the Shadow could help it. He strode back to where she lay, lifting his lance like spear, and stabbed down at her heart. 

An arrow slammed into his back and he staggered. The tip of the lance went scraped across her ribs and pierced the Shadow's arm instead, effectively pinning her to the ground. He didn't think he'd broken bone, but it would do. Leaving the lance where it was, he pivoted and brought his shield up. 

The archer had levin-fire of her own, and he was just in time to catch and absorb it with the shield instead of his armor. Even so, his left arm tingled and he shivered. Reaching up to his chestplate, he found the enchanted dagger that was still struggling to slice through and cut into his flesh. Grasping the hilt, he wrenched it loose and stabbed down at the Shadow. 

It turned in his hand at the last minute, twisting in his fingers and coming down sideways across the shadow's breast. A moment later another arrow slammed into his shield, this one strong enough to pierce it and put six inches of arrowhead and shaft through to the other side. 

A pillar of fire rose on the far side of the camp, away from the bluff and behind the tower. That would be the squad that he'd sent to destroy the supply train -- either marking their success, or being annihilated. Either way, it was time to go. "Deathbringer!" he called. "Now!"

The black horse reared and then slammed its forelegs down, and a massive tremor shook the camp. Soldiers fell, the tower swayed, and the campfires did amazing things. Deathbringer was already turning, and racing back across the ground as if it were perfectly still. Pallian caught the saddle and hauled himself atop it as Deathbringer passed; the Shadow of Edrias cried out as his lance wrenched free of her arm. An arrow passed by his shoulder and buried itself in the dirt far ahead. 

It was the first time that he'd seen the archer miss. 

He found the rest of the troop near the edge of the camp, bodies scattered around them and Liiras at their center, eyes closed in concentration. 

"Go!" ordered Pallian. "Go!"

Liiras opened his eyes and flung his arms out, then turned his mount as the troopers around him began to stream back out of the camp. 

"Did you manage?" called Pallian, and Liiras nodded tightly. 

They were were five hundred yards away and had just slowed to a trot when the last squad swung in behind them. "It's done," called the squad leader. "They'll have to conjure their food, or turn back."

Pallian nodded. The Sorcerer-King might not have sent them out with a large force, but he'd clearly provided skilled and experienced troops for Ravaj's first foray into unsupervised battle. 

A moment later a blue-white flash lit the night behind them, and Liiras offered the Black Knight a tight smile. "With any luck, the Shadow tried to come after us and that was the end of her."

Pallian nodded back. He didn't think they had that kind of luck, but there was nothing to do now but get back to their own camp, and wait and see.