midst, only eight now remain. Two of the crossbowmen suddenly lay their crossbows down and draw their swords as they begin coming down the stairs toward James and Aleya. Their fellow crossbowmen continue firing bolts.
Aleya replaces her knife in her belt when she sees them beginning to come down the stairs toward her. Removing her bow from where it’s slung across her back, she places an arrow to the string and takes aim at the two soldiers approaching. Even with the wind whipping as hard as it is, if they come close enough, she’s not likely to miss.
Seeing her there with bow in hand causes them to pause. One of them runs back up to the top and returns with two shields, one of which he gives to his partner. Holding the shields out before them, they once more progress toward James and Aleya.
James is panting now, the exertion of maintaining the barrier as well as redirecting the lightning is taking its toll. He had already been bordering on exhaustion from the climb, and all the magic he’s had to do since is bringing him to the brink of unconsciousness.
Another spike and he increases the polarity disparity further up the stairs near where the two soldiers are coming down toward them.
Flash! Boom!
The lightning strikes near them and the concussion of it throws one from the stairs as he falls screaming to his death below. The other is thrown off his feet and begins tumbling down the stairs toward where Aleya waits with her bow. When he comes within range, she lets loose her arrow and watches as it flies straight toward him, striking him in the side. Before he has a chance to recover, she lets loose with another, taking him full on in the back, severing the spinal column. With a cry, he comes to a stop and she can hear his moans and wailing from where he lies on the steps. Paralyzed, all he can do is lie there as his lifeblood slowly drains from him. After several minutes, his cries cease and all that can be heard is the wind whipping the side of the ridge.
As Jiron reaches the top of the ridge, the ruins of the old watchtower loom above him. Only a few feet of level ground separates the walls of the tower and the edge. Peering over the top, he finds no one near. They’re all over by the top of the stairs, raining bolts down upon James and Aleya.
Pulling himself up, he takes but a moment to assess the situation before drawing his knives and advancing upon the five remaining crossbowmen.
Flash! Boom!
Another bolt strikes further down the ridge face as he comes up behind the men. He pushes two screaming over the side before engaging with the third man. A quick strike drops him to the ground, the last two crossbowmen turn to see him upon them.
A bolt flies within inches of his face as one quickly takes aim and releases. Throwing their crossbows to the ground, the soldiers draw their swords and advance upon him. The first one strikes out as the second moves to flank him.
Crossing his knives, Jiron grabs the descending sword between them and kicks out at the soldier’s groin. Twisting the sword at the same time as his foot connects causes his opponent to lose his grip on the sword. A quick twist with his knives and the sword goes flying over the side of the cliff.
The second man who was flanking him, screams a war cry as he hacks down with an overhand strike. Twisting to the side, he narrowly avoids being cleaved in two. As he twists, he strikes out at the first man and catches him in the shoulder with one knife before bumping him with his shoulder.
Crying out from the pain erupting in his shoulder, the soldier stumbles back off balance and goes over the cliff. His scream echoes as Jiron turns to face the final attacker.
Having missed with his first strike, the man again tries to bull his way through Jiron’s defenses with brute strength. Slashing at him with both hands gripping his sword, he knocks one of Jiron’s knives to the ground as Jiron tries to deflect the soldier’s attack.
Barely deflecting the strike at the cost of one of his knives, Jiron lashes out with his foot and catches the soldier in the chest, knocking him backward. Following him, Jiron grabs the man’s hand that’s wielding the sword and prevents him from being able to attack.
He knees the man in the stomach hard, causing him to bend over and then follows through with another knee to the face. The soldier’s head snaps back as blood begins to cascade from his now broken nose.
Jiron pauses a moment and watches as the man staggers back a few feet. He wobbles a moment before falling backward to the ground.
Coming over to where the man lies prone on the ground, he sees that his neck is bent at a crooked angle and his eyes are staring off at nothing. Nudging him with his foot to make sure he’s dead, he then goes over and retrieves his knife before moving to the top of the stairs.
Aleya and James are already on their way up. He’s leaning heavily upon her as they make it up one step at a time.
Flash! Boom!
Another bolt of lightning strikes the cliff face near them, knocking them to their knees. Below them the soldiers have now reached the third rest area and are pushing upward quickly.
Taking the steps two at a time, Jiron comes down and helps Aleya in aiding James the rest of the way to the top. “Come on!” he hollers over the wind. “We’ve got to hurry!”
Flash! Boom! Flash! Boom!
Two quick bolts strike near and he can hear an audible groan from James as he works to deflect them. Falling to their knees from the concussion of the blasts, Jiron looks to James and sees that his face is pale and drawn from the effort to keep them safe. Getting back to his feet, he picks him up and carries James the remaining few steps to the top.
“Horses!” Aleya hollers, pointing over to behind the ruined watchtower.
The crossbowmen’s horses are tied in a group. “Thank god!” he exclaims as he carries James over to them. He suddenly comes to a stop as he remembers how James had stopped Abula-Mazki back at the catacombs.
Setting him down, he hollers, “James!”
Eyes opening, he’s surprised at how bloodshot they are. “Remember back at the catacombs?” he asks. “Remember how you brought them down on top of Abula-Mazki?” Getting a nod from him, he continues, “Can you do the same thing here?”
A weak, “Maybe,” comes from him as he again closes his eyes. “Get us as far away from the edge as you can.” That last statement almost too soft to be heard over the roar of the wind.
“Go get us some horses and meet us over there,” he says to Aleya as he indicates a spot far from the edge. As she nods and moves to comply, he yells, “And hurry!”
Lifting James up, he begins carrying him far from the edge of the cliff face. Aleya soon joins them with four horses. “We’re away from the edge,” he tells James as he lays him on the ground. A brief nod is all the response he gets.
Taking two of the horses’ reins, he says to Aleya, “Hold onto them tight. No matter what happens, don’t let go!”
“Why?” she asks. “What’s going to happen?”
Before Jiron has a chance to reply, the ground begins to shake and the horses start neighing as their eyes roll with fear. “Hold them tight!” he cries. “We can’t let them go!”
Several soldiers reach the top of the stairs and are thrown to the ground as the cliff begins shaking. A loud crack can be heard as the ground begins trembling even harder. Then suddenly, three feet from where they stand with the horses, the ground splits in two. A roar the likes neither of them have ever heard before comes from all around them as the gap grows wider, slowly at first and then more rapidly.
When the gap is over three feet wide, the side of the gap away from them suddenly drops away, the ruins of the watchtower toppling over as the ground disappears from beneath it. A tremendous roar, even louder than before assaults their ears as the cliff face comes away, taking a good portion of the ridge, as well as the soldiers upon the stairs with it.
Jiron has all he can do to keep the two horses he’s holding from bolting away. Aleya loses the battle with hers and the reins are ripped out of her hands by the rearing of the terrified horses. The two horses, now free, run away from the noise. One ends up going the wrong way in its fear and plummets over the cliff side while the other races down the trail leading away from the top on the other side.
