felt someone using magic. He looked toward the source but saw only darkness, but it was darkness that seemed out of place. “Over there,” Bren said, pointing to where he felt the mage.
Bren’s word was all Hayao needed as he pulled his bow from his back and fired his only three remaining arrows into the abnormal darkness. The wood shafts disappeared but they all heard the screams of whoever was on the receiving end of them.
As the scream died down the veil of darkness fell and Bren noticed two things. The first was more than a hundred Brotherhood soldiers were staring them in the eye. The other was the Brotherhood mage, whose face was pale white and his eyes an off shade of pink. The mage looked like a mad dog as he started to growl and yell as he foamed at the mouth.
“I thought they couldn’t use magic,” Cass said, holding his sword in front of him as he readied for the impending attack.
“He couldn’t at least not for long,” Bren said, looking at the mad man. “It has ripped his mind apart.”
“I see,” Cass said as he watched the mage start to attack his own men.
One of the soldiers wearing gold trimmed armor calmly beheaded the wild mage and turned his attention back to Bren and the group. “Lay down your weapons and submit to your fate,” he yelled in a bellowing voice that seemed to carry on the wind. “If you do, then all those that are not cursed with demon blood will be allowed to leave this place with their lives.”
“I don’t think so,” Cass yelled back. “If we were going to do thatthen we would have long ago instead of walking through that god-forsaken desert.
The soldier reply was a single word as he pointed his sword toward Cass. “Charge!”
The Brotherhood rushed them like a flood. Bren tried to stay close to Faye as he fought, but it didn’t take long for everyone to become separated as they fought to survive. As Bren ducked one blade, another came in before he could respond with his own attack. It was all he could do to block, giving him little no chance of attacking.
Something hit Bren from behind, and while he felt no pain, he did find himself laying on his back in an awkward position just in time to see a large double bladed axe headed straight for his head, while his sword was down by his side. He tried to get it up to defend but he knew that it was useless. When the blade was only inches from his face, the soldier wielding it was knocked to the side by an unseen force. “Faye?” Bren asked in a shocked tone.
“Who else?” a soft voice said as Bren felt someone grab his hand and pull him up just as another soldier tried to attack.
“Are you okay?” Bren asked as he ducked under a blow and gutted the attacker.
“I feel fine,” Faye responded from somewhere to his left. He was worried about her using magic, especially considering what he had happened to the Brotherhood mage, but with so many swords aimed at him, he didn’t have much time to check on her.
You know as much as I enjoy your dancing around you could use me from time to time. I do get bored just watching you jump about as if someone put hot coals down your trousers.
Thuraman’s words came to his mind just as the staff appeared in his hand. Bren extended the staff hitting the nearest soldier in the gut and throwing him back with a loud pop. With both his staff and sword in hand Bren felt a little off balance but after a few strikes, it almost became a dance to him. He would block with his sword then attack with the staff. He was right-handed, making his sword arm just slightly faster and more accurate, and while he knew attacking was important, blocking the blades aimed to take his life seemed the more pressing matter.
As skilled as they were, the Brotherhood was skilled as well, and they were outnumbered seven to one. Bren was holding his own for a bit, with Faye jumping in to help when more than one came at him at a time. The longer the battle raged, the more and more soldiers surrounded him, making it hard for him to keep pace. A few blades tore through his clothes and hit his skin, but none of them had made