beating aside a weak defence and nicking through leather. The target fell back; The Unknown did likewise. The rest closed, scant feet from him now but unwilling to attack. They were a disparate group, not under command. Maybe. Just maybe.
Consternation rippled through the Dordovan line to his left. ForceCones flew out from the Xeteskian mages, scattering Dordovans behind the front. Two of his attackers fell. A heavy detonation sounded. The building next to him shook and tottered under an EarthHammer. More ForceCones. Very close. The edge of one caught him a glancing blow and he sprawled. Diera screamed.
The Unknown rolled onto his back. Dordovans ran at him, three at least fast on their feet.
We are come.
Panic spread in the Dordovan line. The trio running at The Unknown faltered then came on again. Halfway to his feet, The Unknown sheared aside a thrust to his chest and jumped back. A second came in but it didn’t get close to its target, stopped by the flat blade of a massive axe.
Protectors sprinted in front of him. He drove to his feet as Diera yelped in surprise. He turned to see her lifted from the ground by one of the Xeteskian elite taking her to safety. He heard a voice by his ear.
‘You go too.’
He looked round into the blank mask of a Protector and nodded.
‘Thank you.’
‘Go.’
A backward glance told him the Protectors were holding the gap. The Unknown nodded again and ran after his wife down to the dockside where the Calaian Sun bobbed against the wharf.
With his wife and son safely below deck in their cabin, he came back to the wheel deck to shake hands with Jevin, the ship’s captain, but could see instantly that all was not right. There were Protectors and Xeteskian mages everywhere on board and the ship was already under way.
‘Thank you for waiting.’
‘It’s what you pay me for,’ said Jevin curtly.
‘What’s all this about?’ asked The Unknown. ‘I agreed half a dozen research mages. There must be twenty here.’
‘Thirty,’ corrected Jevin. ‘And a hundred Protectors.’
‘What?’
‘Ask him.’ Jevin gestured at a tall young mage striding towards the wheel-deck ladder. ‘I’ve got a ship to sail.’
The Unknown watched the mage quickly scale the ladder and smile as he approached.
‘The Unknown Warrior,’ he said, extending a hand. ‘I’m glad you got through.’
‘Sytkan,’ said The Unknown, ignoring the hand. ‘Are you going to tell me what this small army is doing on board Jevin’s ship?’
Sytkan at least had the good grace to look embarrassed. ‘It was felt at the highest level that Herendeneth should be secured from Dordovan invasion.’
The Unknown cleared his throat and looked back to the dockside. It was ringed with fire but secured. Spell after spell crashed into the shields all around it and, high in the sky, he could just pick out the silhouettes of Xeteskian demon Familiars, watching the perimeter. He shuddered, imagining their maniacal laughs all too easily.
‘This was to be a peaceful mission,’ he said. ‘You’re sharing your findings with the other colleges. Or supposed to be.’
Sytkan waved a hand at the ruins of Arlen. ‘Things change,’ he said. ‘The Dordovans wanted something we were not prepared to give.’
‘Which was?’
‘Their mages in the research party.’
‘And this is the result?’ The Unknown shook his head. ‘Gods burning, was it really worth going to war over?’
‘If not this then something else.’ Sytkan shrugged.
The Unknown slapped the railing. ‘But this was supposed to help broker peace! What the hell went wrong?’
Sytkan didn’t answer.
‘Dystran and Vuldaroq,’ said The Unknown, answering for him. ‘You don’t need this, you know - the colleges, that is. There’s already unrest.’ He gestured back at Arlen. ‘This sort of thing will be the death of magic, ultimately.’
Sytkan snorted. ‘I hardly think so.’
The Unknown rounded on him and pushed his face in very close. ‘Don’t underestimate Selik and the Black Wings. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a family to attend to and a cut to stitch.’
He nodded at Jevin as he descended the ladder, pain shooting through his left hip and lower back. Now the adrenaline was gone, the liberties he’d taken with his old wound were taking their toll. Before going below, he scanned the deck once more, seeing too many Xeteskians on it.
Ilkar wasn’t going to like this. He wasn’t going to like this at all.
Chapter 2
Two hours before dawn and the mood of the rainforest changed. Imperceptible to all but those whose lives were inextricably linked to the canopy but there just the same. Rebraal became utterly