Chương 108: Chapter 107- The Ambush

The screams of wounded Ridgebacks filled the air, and Eli grunted as a pair of impacts struck his chest. His armor was already showing its worth, as the first strike landed dead center on the embedded heartguard and skittered to the side, cutting a burning line across his ribs but saving his life.

The second, a small crossbow bolt, thudded into his shoulder as Elias grunted again, and nudged his mount to the left to cover Astra while he readied [Distortion] and snapped his eyes to the sky warily watching for further projectiles. The drums in his chest rose as his song roared with fury in response to the attack and, as the adrenaline poured into his veins, he reached up to rip the bolt free with a pained scream.

A thick stream of warm energy poured forth from his chest as Eli's health pool set to mending the wound, the blood pouring freely at first but slowing to a trickle as it slowly sealed the surface and began working on the deeper injury. What is with these fucking assholes and shooting people in the shoulder?

Winterbrook called for suppressing fire as the riders dove for cover, the small drainage ditch next to the dirt road filling in quickly as men and ridgeback's both hunkered down the best they could, ducking behind anything they could put between them and the slight rise no more than a hundred feet into the forest.

As the soldiers ducked behind trees and crawled under bushes they began to return fire; first with bows and crossbows, but eventually with more esoteric arms as the mages opened up sending spikes of stone, gouts of fire, and shards of ice roaring into the trees. Eli and Astra had jumped free of their mounts as the beasts crawled into the ditch and ducked behind a large tree, slamming back to back as they both peered around the side to catch a glance at the enemy's position.

The rise could barely be called a hill, no more than ten or fifteen feet above the forest floor, but their assailants had dug a series of trenches across the front that were now bristling with pikes and spears, as once their positions had been revealed the troops within rose, bracing for a charge. The rise was capped with a small bunker that had firing slits dug facing the road, and was the source of the bulk of the ranged fire.

There were some small stones and arrows being slung from the trenches below, but a steady stream of arrows, bolts, stone spikes, and shards of ice poured out of the long bunker. Even worse the occasional fiery orb joined the fray, striking trees along the roadside before splashing out in a burst of flames, and Eli grimaced as he realized they would quickly run out of cover.

Winterbrook slammed his back into the trunk of a tree a few feet from Astra and Eli growling, " Figured they knew we were coming, but I thought the positions would be closer to the estate, we need to take out that bunker." Astra shook her head, " I need to save my strength for the gate, we will need to have Mason or Carver break it open." Winterbrook grimaced, " Mr Mason is in charge of the emplacements team when we breach the wall…" Elias leaned forward to get another look at the bunker as they spoke.

He only caught a quick glimpse before needing to duck back to avoid a spray of splinters as a crossbow bolt slammed into the tree just on the other side of where he had been leaning out. A slow grin spread on his face, it was only a glance, but that was enough, he could see daylight at the back of the firing slit. At this point the forest was practically his home terrain, and a single opening was all he needed. Eli flicked his gaze over at his resources, his health trickling down as he spoke.

Health: 149/200 Health: 148/200 Health: 147/200 Eli grimaced, it will have to be enough, loosening the brace of small metal spikes strapped to his wrist and he turned slightly to nudge Astra. He leaned back and raised his voice a bit so he could be heard over the din of battle as he shouted over his shoulder." Belay that order, I have an idea." Winterbrook swiveled to glance at Elias as he cut off his conversation with Astra mid sentence as Eli continued, " Give me three minutes.

If the bunker is still firing at that point feel free to cut loose." Astra gave Eli a worried look as he turned and gave her a wink, " Don't worry, I'm at my best when I'm falling out of trees." Astra snorted in amusement as Eli turned back around and vanished from sight with a pop of displaced air.

Eli re-appeared with a shudder as the shroud from [Veilstep] receded, and he could swear that he could taste the color purple as the memory of the shift faded, as well as the creeping sensation of a massive finger reaching through his flesh as it caressed his spine. He silently gagged a bit but, as promised, the nausea was less and fading faster with every use, no matter how creepy it was, the skill was too useful to shelve completely. He shuddered again, ugh, I swear I felt my vertebrae bend like rubber that time.

Perched on a branch deep in the shadows of the canopy of a tree behind the enemy's lines, Eli looked down with a grin as he spotted the entrance to the back of the bunker he had spotted earlier. The drums in his chest roared in approval as he swung beneath the branch, the beat rising to a fever pitch, as his eyes dilated and time slowed as he launched himself down towards the ground. Thump.

Eli's feet touched down, his legs coiling beneath him as he leaned forward, almost parallel to the ground, the spearpoint of his poleaxe pointed forward as lined himself up with the opening to the bunker. A feral grin spread across his face as the man dressed in padded robe just ahead of Eli thrust his hand forward, launching a fiery orb through the slit and revealing himself to be the fire mage causing the formation so much trouble. Thump.

Eli launched himself forward crossing the distance with a pair of short bounding leaps, energy flowing up the shaft of his weapon to cover the head of the poleaxe, coating the point of the speartip and the blade of the axe in a razor sharp pane of distortion. He was a blur as he flashed forward into the shadowed opening of the bunker, aiming the point just off center mass of his target, directly at the man's heart. Thump.

His weapon exploded out the front of the man's chest in a welter of gore, the expected resistance from the man's bones missing as [Veilrend] cut through his flesh like a knife through soft butter. Eli wrenched his blade to left, coating the man next to his first target in a spray of hot blood, steam rising in the cool morning air as the man recoiled from the unexpected sensation. Thump.

Eli pivoted to the left striking through the next two men in one smooth arc, the first man swiftly crumbled but the second man's armor became the first object to provide a slight resistance to Eli's enhancement Skill. A pair of hacking blows finished the man as Eli came up against the dirt wall at the end of the bunker. Thump.

Eli grunted as he turned, his grin faltering a bit and turning pained as a smattering of blows rained on his back, a few skittering off of the plates buried in his armor, but two bolts landed solid and dug deep into the flesh of his back. A snarl ripped from his throat as he whirled to face the other direction, his grin growing as he took in the row of men before him in a line surrounded by the tunnel of packed earth and stone. Like fish in a barrel. Thump.

With a scream of pain at the tearing sensation from the bolts lodged in his back, Eli reared back and launched his poleaxe forward, streaking through the air toward the earth mage at the far end of the bunker. Looks of surprise and terror were etched on the faces of the men before him as they rushed to reload their crossbows and the bow men reached for fresh arrows while drawing down on Eli. Thump.

A pained scream filled the air as Eli's poleaxe lanced through the earth mage's stomach pinning him to the back wall by his spine. As he screamed, writhing in pain, the man's blood poured down the haft of the poleaxe, his hands slipped and slid as he desperately clawed at the weapon, trying to pull it free. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

The normal flow of time resumed as Eli yanked a spike from the strap around each wrist and with a pulse of [Distortion] launched them forwards. Memories of Mira's dodge training flitted through his mind, and he twisted, ducked, and juked, weaving a path through the onrush of projectiles. His pained grin turned into a rictus as he threw his senses as wide as he was able, his nerves burning at the abuse he was putting his limbs through as the drums pounded a warbeat deep within his chest.

Elias's feet moved to a beat only he could hear, instincts screaming as he danced along a razor's edge, the rhythm of battle guiding his steps as he could feel the icy breath of death on the nape of his neck in every drop of cold sweat that trickled down his spine.

Throwing spikes shot down the tunnel, the heavy acceleration of [Distortion] causing the spikes to cut through the air fast enough to leave miniature wakes as the bunker filled with a staccato series of crackling snaps, each one echoing off of the walls building upon the cacophony. Eli struck at whatever target he could find, eyes, joints, necks, and when ran out of spikes, he shot daggers, and when he was down to his last set, pulled the pair of homemade tusk daggers from the tops of his boots.

Roaring a wordless battle cry he launched himself forward, losing himself in the song, the thunder in his veins matching the beat in his chest, pushing back the pain of the blows he had taken so far. His world shrank until there was nothing but the bunker around him, the enemy before him, the next strike to dodge, and the next punch of his dagger.

As he pressed forward, the relentless stamps of his feet and the shouts of pain punctuating the thrust of each dagger combined with the sight of his blood soaked visage caused his enemies to become unnerved. As more would falter and fumble their strikes, they became simpler to avoid easing the strain on Elias's abused and frayed nerves. In what was most likely no more than a couple minutes, but had felt like an eternity, Eli rushed a final bowman, driving both daggers into the chest of the man.

His target pulled an arrow from his quiver and desperately tried to stab Eli with it as Elias pinned him to the earthen wall behind him. The angle of their limbs restricted the bowman's range of motion such that the arrow head skittered across the embedded plates of Eli's pauldron and neckguards unable to find purchase. Elias came back to himself, the sounds of battle trickled through the firing ports to the outside, but the silence of the bunker was deafening.

He glanced to his right and caught sight of the earth mage from before, still alive, but only weakly shifting as a bloody froth leaked from the corners of his mouth, slowly slumping over the haft of Eli's poleaxe where it was still embedded in his gut. Turning, Eli found the bunker filled only with the dead and dying, the walls awash with blood, and the air filled with the scent of death and loosened bowels.

Catching the ongoing battle out of the corner of his eye, he pulled his poleaxe from the wall and flicked the head, shedding what blood he could, his grip slick and unsure on the sodden shaft. Wincing with each step he jogged for the exit from the bunker, and after stepping outside he turned to climb on top of the earthen mound that was the roof of the bunker.

He closed his eyes, the warm sunshine of the clear blue sky coating him like a comforting embrace, and as a warm breeze swirled around him bringing the scents of the forest. He breathed in deep, a waft of all things green and growing filled his lungs. The sap, soft earth, and a faint hint reminiscent of pine, soothed his frayed nerves and he gloried in the feeling of dancing upon the precipice and living to see another day.

Opening his eyes to behold the battle before him, Eli lofted his weapon above his head and roared in victory, the drums in his chest pounding rapidly in jubilation, as he bellowed out over the trenches before him." ASH AND STEEL!" As he stood bloody but unbowed, a resounding roar echoed back." BORN AND BOUND!" With the bunker suppressed, archers and mages stepped into the open, and as a wave of arrows and elemental strikes pounded the trenches, a familiar voice sounded from the road calling for a charge.

Heavy booted feet pounded the earth, filling the air with a thunderous rumble as the armored forms of the men and women of the assault force poured forth into the trees, slaughtering all in their wake.

A couple arrows shot in his direction caused Eli to duck back off the mound, the raucous sounds of the ensuing battle reached Eli's ears as the soldiers marched through the trees. The sense of danger waned, the adrenaline washed out of him and the song settled, coiling back into a small ember in his chest with a contented grumble.

As his pulse slowed Eli stumbled groaning in pain, and when he looked down he realized he was soaked in blood, and at the sight of more than a few bolts sticking out of the gaps in his armor he came to the realization that not a small amount of it was his. When did this happen? I don't remember taking so many hits? Bewildered Eli found at least a half dozen protruding from his body and a chill ran down his spine.

He could remember pulling the one out of his shoulder by the road side, and he remembered something hitting him a couple times while in the bunker, but he didn't remember feeling much pain if any, and definitely didn't notice anywhere near this many. Fuck me. Astra and Mira said the song could be dangerous, I had no idea just how dangerous. He flicked a glance at his resources. Health: 37/200 Stamina: 198/320 Mana: 386/950 Elias grimaced, Shit that could have been really bad.

Waking up in a new magical world, with supernatural powers had made him feel powerful and unstoppable, but as Eli eyed his waning health pool reality struck him with all the subtlety of a brick to the face. I'm not the man from krypton. Sure, the health pool can help patch me back up after a fight but it's not infinite. This is not a game. One wrong move and I could have died in there.

His health pool dropped another point as he watched, as the energy struggled to staunch the flow of his injuries, and Elias walked over to a nearby tree and dropped to the ground to prop his back against the bark. Taking a series of deep breaths, Eli tried to drown out the lances of pain the embedded bolts shot through his torso as he listened to the slowly dying din of battle as the soldiers overwhelmed the ambushers.

The approach of a familiar knot of sensation brought Eli back to full alertness as Astra strode around the bunker, her eyes locking onto him like a pair of heat seeking missiles as she stormed over. Her eyes blazed as a whirlwind of emotions that cascaded down the tether, pride and fury battled for supremacy as they surged back and forth in equal measure.

Astra's dominant emotion was made clear by the snarl on her face as she reached down with both hands and hauled him into the air slamming Eli into the tree behind him as a growl ripped from her throat. Eli grunted in pain as the bolts in his back dug into the bark as her fury redoubled and she practically spat her words into his face." What the fuck, do you think you are doing?"" You are my counterpoint! The balance to my song, and the other half of my heart."

She dropped him to the ground only to shove him back again as she pressed close growling in his face, " If we must fight, we fight together." Astra jammed a finger in Eli's face as her voice dropped lower, " You will not leave this world without me, I forbid it." She glanced around, the only living people in the vicinity were her guards forming a small cordon around the edge of the bunker.

Astra picked Eli up once more and dragged him around the back of the tree, ignoring his pained groans as the bolts in his back dragged and twisted. Once they were out of sight, Astra pinned him to the tree once more and pressed against him hard, her soft lips meeting his, the sweet taste of her saliva mixing with the salt of their sweat and the coppery tang of blood.

Eli clutched back, pulling her into a tight embrace, and as she pressed against him full force, the fury in the tether melted a swell of passionate affection buoying up to replace it. The heady mix of passion and pride threatened to drown his senses as the outside world drifted away and Eli's entire being was filled with warmth.

The lingering joy of a hard fought battle mingled with his own swelling passionate affection for Astra and, as it pressed back down the tether, the currents of emotion flowed back and forth between them. They both lost themselves in the bliss of the moment, clinging to each other and basking in the joy of each other's continued existence.

After a long moment they separated, and as her hot breath washed over his face Eli found himself lost in her eyes, a tremor of worry rippled between them as she spoke in a low voice that broke slightly, " I just found you. You will not leave me alone in this world. Together forever, remember?" Elias smiled as he gazed into her deep blue eyes and nodded, " Yes, always. I'm sorry I forgot, it won't happen again."

She snorted in amusement, gave him a light punch in the chest and stepped back out of the embrace, wiping the blood from Eli's face off her lips but only succeeding in smearing it across one cheek, " Doubtful, you have a tendency to go haring off on your own in a fit of heroics." A wave of pride washed through the tether as she propped her hands on her hips, " I caught a glimpse through one of the loopholes, and for what it is worth you did excellent work, and I am proud of you."

She jammed a finger towards his face as she scolded him one last time, " That does not mean you can leave me behind next time." They left to step around the tree and as the pair rejoined the guards, the squad turned and Cooper cleared his throat, looking slightly embarrassed as he tapped his lips and a cheek as he spoke in a low voice, " Lady Emberholdt, you've got a bit of red on ya."

Astra blushed a deep crimson at being caught, most of her guards giving them faint smiles as they kept an eye on their surroundings but, true to form, Sasha could care less for decorum and cackled with laughter as she crowed, " Got one for me too, mountain man?"