Arach started to chuckle. “Oh, I'm going to enjoy this.”
“Um, not to call you a liar,” I interrupted hesitantly, “but Marduk is immune to fire. I've seen him hold lightning in his hand.”
“Marduk is the exception,” Zimri-dagan amended. “As the God of Light, he was given that immunity by the humans. It's why the Mesopotamians needed him to be their champion, and why Marduk got away with making such demands of them.”
“So, what's Marduk's weakness?” I asked eagerly.
“There's only one that we know of.” Zimri-dagan grimaced. “The same weakness that most gods have.”
“I have to take his head,” I concluded grimly.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Our other allies sent teams to Pride Palace to train with the Jinn and then take those skills back to the rest of their armies. The Intare trained beside Froekn, Egyptians, Demons, and Greeks. The only ones who we didn't bother to train were my fire fairies. It turns out that the quickest way to kill a Mesopotamian is to burn a hole straight through their heart. And that just happens to be the way Fire Faeries are trained to kill.
Some of the gods had fire abilities—we had a few sun gods who could harness the heat and creator gods who could manifest flames—but most didn't possess the skill. So, they had to be taught to use what they did have. Gods who could manipulate energy or move things with their magic could simply direct fire that they'd carry with them. Those who couldn't do that would have to carry flaming weapons; swords, spears, and arrows that could pierce Mesopotamian hearts. That being said, once the gods discovered that flaming weapons were up for grabs, all of them wanted one; whether they needed it or not.
That's where the Fire Fey came in. Arach went back to Faerie and set our people to the task of forging weapons for our allies; weapons that could be set aflame with a single word. For the time being, our troops would train with wooden practice weapons, working through maneuvers under the guidance of the Jinn. The Jinn weren't just teaching them where to strike and what to strike with but also how to fight alongside the Jinn Tribes. There were signs that the Jinn would give, even when invisible, so we, their allies, would know when one was about to attack. Jinn are invincible when in their spirit forms but once solid, they can be killed so a lot of their tactics revolved around invisibility. Our soldiers needed to know how to stay out of their way.
My target would be Marduk. He would be gunning for me, and I had to prepare for that. My love magic was gone along with my witch power of reclaiming magic from Gods, my star was broken, and even if I could shift into my dragon form, Marduk was immune to fire. So, I'd have to rely on my sword. I'd carry one of the flaming swords the Fey were crafting, but I wouldn't be trying to impale Marduk's heart with it. I'd use it to behead him.
If I could shine up my rusty sword skills, that is.
I slashed and parried Zimri-dagan's relentless attack. We both wore padded tunics and leather armor, though they were probably unnecessary. Any injury we took should heal rapidly, but I wasn't sure how quickly that would be, what with the state of me. So, I was armored up. I think Zimri-dagan put his on just to make me feel better.
Around us stood some of my men, silently watching the exchange with arms folded over their broad chests. Those of them who had seen me fight with a sword before hadn't seen it in years. I'd stopped using my kodachi and Wolverine blades back when my dragon was released and I discovered the weapons I came equipped with. I had expected to fail horribly, at least in the beginning, but the movements of wielding a blade were similar to those of using claws. I sank into the dance of death with an ease that surprised me.
Zimri-dagan spun on his toes, one knee lifting gracefully as he swung his wooden practice sword toward my throat. I crouched, his strike whistling above me while I punched him in the gut with my hilt. Our audience made rumbles of approval as my teacher bent into the blow, stumbling back. But Zimri-dagan caught himself on a heel and leapt, kicking my sword out of my hands. In the same movement, he backhanded me, sending me flying in the opposite direction of my weapon.
I grinned and rolled as I landed, tumbling toward my sword. Zimri-dagan was there already, his foot set on the blade. I kept rolling, taking him down and freeing my sword. Just as I grabbed it, Zimri-dagan swung, and I had to fling myself backward to block it. On my back in the sand, I parried another blow before rolling once more, getting enough distance to gain my feet without hindrance. As soon as I stood, I came rushing back at the Jinn. He blocked my first blow but my second smacked into his chest.
“Good!” Zimri-dagan shouted. “Be on guard for a lightning attack at all times. Even though you're immune to fire, the light may blind you. Focus on Marduk's eyes; they'll fill with light before he strikes.”
A memory flashed in my mind; Marduk's eyes gathering energy from the shaft of lightning in his hand. He had used the lightning bolt to lift himself into the sky to face me. I saw him hovering before me again, eyes flashing as he slapped a palm on the Tablet of Destinies and started to chant.
Zimri-dagan knocked his sword into my hip, and I went stumbling to the ground. Growls and hissing came from the watching men, but my teacher wasn't concerned.
“Focus,
