Alex’s sharp reprimand didn’t have the desired effect. Rather than calming down, Mandla’s cries only got louder and more frantic, each one becoming a loud and painful gasp.
Allyra crouched down beside him. “Hey.” She said gently, smiling as Mandla looked uncertainly at her. “It’s ok.” She said reassuringly. “Look – we’re fine.”
Mandla’s wailing slowed a fraction and he watched her carefully. “We need you to stay here and rest quietly, ok?” She asked softly.
Slowly, Mandla brought a finger to his lips. “Ssshhh…” He said, exaggerating the gesture.
She grinned and copied his gesture. “Yes, ssshhh.”
Mandla grinned at her, as bright as dawn sunlight breaking over the African plains. He underwent a lightning quick change in mood that only a child could achieve, instantly forgetting his fear.
Alex gave her a grim smile and moved the green vines out the way for them to walk out the cave. His fingers brushed briefly over hers as she walked past him.
“Thank you.” He whispered.
She gave him a grim smile and nodded, her breathing quick and uneven. There was no hiding her nerves from him.
“Believe in yourself, Allyra.” Alex said gently. “Because I do.”
*
They moved quickly towards the gap in the river. With a start, she noticed he wasn’t wearing his normal leather baldric. In fact, his hands were weaponless. As they reached the gap, the silver tattooed dragons on his right arm came to life – twisting and writhing their way down his arm. She blinked and missed the moment of transformation – the tattoo was gone and in his hands were two beautiful silver swords, intricately engraved with two dragons.
It was one mystery solved, but she didn’t have time to ponder the details. The darkness was moving. The Revenants had found them.
All the training in the world couldn’t truly prepare one for real combat. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears, so loudly that it washed away all other noise. Her grip on her swords felt slippery and uncertain as a layer of nervous sweat formed in her palms.
She tightened her grip.
There was a moment of perfect stillness before the storm broke. Alex moved effortlessly into action beside her, his movements precise, graceful and utterly lethal.
Her world narrowed into the two Revenants before her.
They attacked simultaneously – black shadows of nightmares made whole. Their swords clashed against hers, separated by a split second. She took the first hit with her right sword and the force travelled through the metal, sending tremors up her arm. It was like an alarm clock going off, finally spurring her into action. She allowed instinct to take over – instinct that had been drilled into her by endless hours of training.
Allyra met them blow for blow, blocking their black, jagged swords. She made full use of her increased speed and agility, keeping them moving, constantly chasing after her. She forced herself to be patient, with two opponents; a single mistake would mean her death. She searched for an opportunity, an opening that would allow her to deliver as much damage as possible.
She’d never been particularly patient and during training Alex had admonished her more than once for leaving herself vulnerable just to pursue an attack. Now, she was painfully aware that training was over; any vulnerability she presented now would mean a permanent end.
So she waited. She stepped and parried and danced around them. Time took on a fluid quality – it might have been minutes or hours or days.
Allyra stepped lightly to avoid a jagged blade, flicked her sword around in her hand and slammed it deep into the Revenant’s back as she moved around it. She pulled the sword back and felt thick, liquid like flesh swallowing it, pulling against her. It was like rotten meat. The smell of putrefaction wafted toward her, reinforcing the idea in her mind. She swallowed down on the bile rising in her throat – now was not the time to be queasy – she could throw up later, but now she had to focus on survival. Her sword pulled free and she kicked the Revenant away, turning her attention to the second one.
One on one, she stood a better chance and concentrated on forcing an opportunity to deliver an actual kill blow. She allowed herself a brief glance at Alex. He was moving with lightning quick grace, darting between the Ancient’s blows, meeting it, pushing it back. Reassured that he was holding his own, she focused on her own opponent.
Patience, she cautioned herself, the opportunity would eventually present itself.
She twisted to avoid a slash of the Revenant’s blade, allowing the momentum to turn her around. As she turned, she caught a glimpse of Mandla peering out the cave, probably drawn by the clash of swords; perhaps believing it was the sparring he enjoyed watching so much.
The Revenant she’d kicked away previously slipped past her, making straight for Mandla. Desperation clawed at her, Alex had trusted her to deal with the Revenant, if it hurt Mandla… She couldn’t bear to think of the consequences.
Allyra attacked harder, dropping all pretense at caution. She dropped her defense and the Revenant immediately pushed its advantage, coming straight at her. She misjudged her position by a hair’s breadth and as she twisted past it and felt its jagged sword bite into her arm, pulling the flesh apart. But it didn’t matter as she slashed her blade across its throat, cutting through rotting flesh, tendon and bone. The Revenant dissolved into a cloud of dark particles, hanging in the air or a single heartbeat before disappearing completely, almost as if it had not existed at all.
There was no time for celebration. Allyra turned to Mandla, but the Revenant already had him by the throat. She moved to close the distance, knowing even as she did that it was too late.
If only she’d been quicker, taken more of a risk.
Something.
Anything.
She tried to shout a warning, to turn the Revenant’s attention back to her, but it caught in
