A DRINK BEFORE BATTLE (MxM)

Sevei got low, and got his shield over him.

The Loranarian Alchemists, enraged by the death of their leader, launched a relentless barrage of ethereal energy into the midst of the gathered army. A number of the soldiers who had broken ranks fell at Sevei’s side, howling in agony as the smell of burnt flesh wafted through the air. An explosion sounded nearby, shaking the ground beneath them.

He peeked over his shield to see Ghed, still hovering over that rooftop, his gaunt face eerily calm as he lifted his hand and sent a stream of green-tinted ethereal energy into a neighboring house, reducing it to rubble as another tremor shook the earth.

Sevei could hear Yeresym’s voice shouting orders to his Martials. Collecting himself in a surge of fury, Sevei rose to his feet again, holding his shield tightly in front of him.

“Formation!” Sevei called out. “Shields up!”

From behind the shield walls, archers and Alchemists returned fire to the Loranarians. Showers of arrows pelted through the air among the sizzling back-and-forth exchange of magic, mostly ending up in the walls of the houses as the Loranarian Martials made use of their portal skills to evade the onslaught.

Yeresym concentrated his own efforts on Ghed himself, but the man seemed to have a sixth sense for approaching energy strikes, and met each with a strike of his own. Their energies resounded with a thunderous crash upon meeting overhead.

A few other Martials struck at him, and seemed to hit, but with no visible damage to him, as if he had an invisible shield around himself. Ghed seemed merely annoyed, as if they were all merely pests interrupting his spree of destruction. Turning away without a glance at Yeresym, he casually blew up another house.

This is not good... Sevei thought as a cold fear ran through his gut. He raced through the ranks of soldiers, desperately looking for Thelan and Meira. They should be with the Sekkha who had come along, and he finally spotted them at the back of the field.

Behind a high wall of shields overlapped like the scales of a fish and held by a cluster of stalwart soldiers, Meira and Thelan sat on the ground, facing each other and holding fast to one another’s hands. The Sekkha knelt in a half-circle around them, eyes closed and chanting in a language Sevei didn’t recognize. Commander Bhari opened her eyes as Sevei broke his run at them.

“How soon can you get this going?” he asked. “I don’t think we can hold out long.”

“We’re almost ready,” Thelan answered, “but there’s too much fire in the air. We need a clear path to Ghed. If they can get some of these Alchemists away from him; kill them or drive them away...”

Sevei nodded. “I’ll tell General Urskatha.”

He leaned down to grasp Meira’s shoulder. “How are you doing?” he asked warmly. “Don’t be afraid.”

Meira turned her face up to him and smiled, her eyes radiant. “I’m not,” she said. “I’m not afraid. I’m happy to be of help. Don’t worry about me, Vei, I’m in good hands.”

She pulled Thelan’s hands up and shook them resolutely while turning her smile to Commander Bhari.

“She’s a brave girl,” Bhari asserted, nodding at Meira proudly. “Worthy of her people.”

“Alright,” Sevei said. “Stay ready. We’ll see about those Alchemists.”

He turned and jogged away from them to go find Yeresym. He hadn’t gotten far, though, when Ghed aimed a strike at a spire of the municipal house, bringing it crashing down. Sevei immediately raised his shield overhead as debris rained down on it in a steady clatter. He watched a large chunk of the pillar fall on the corner of the army’s formation, crushing soldiers beneath it.

“Shit!” he cried out as that sector of the field erupted in screams and the sickening crunch of metal armor under the heavy stone. He raced toward the fallen men, along with a crowd of nearby soldiers, and began shouting orders to coordinate a rescue. Thank the Gods that last night’s rain had left the ground soft. They would have to dig beneath the trapped men to get them out. As shovels arrived from the municipal house’s stores, so did a number of mounted Alchemists, with Prince Rendrick at their center. A break in the gray clouds overhead allowed a shaft of sunlight through to gleam brilliantly off of his armor.

Of course it would, Sevei thought wryly as he leaned on the shovel he’d just been handed and peered up at the handsome Prince.

“With all due respect, Your Highness,” Sevei said, “you should go back inside. Just stay in the sturdiest part of the building. Under an arch, perhaps.”

“I hear you need a distraction,” Rendrick replied, nodding at the Loranarian Alchemists, who continued bombarding the army with bolts of ethereal energy. “I’m the one they want. I can draw them away.”

Sevei’s mouth dropped open. “That’s far too risky...” he began.

“It’s no worry,” Rendrick assured him with a flash of white teeth and a dimpled cheek accompanying his smile. “My Martial Guard are up to the task. They’ll keep me safe.”

The mounted Alchemists surrounding him all saluted their Prince in unison.

Sevei narrowed his eyes on the Prince as he tried to think things through. He was a smart man, and a good General, but he was feeling quite out of his depth today. He was used to straightforward fights, arms against arms. This battle had too many moving pieces and unfamiliar elements for his comfort. He was absolutely not comfortable risking the Prince’s safety. But he had to admit that it really could work. He reluctantly nodded.

“Alright,” he said. “Be safe. And if things go south, get back here immediately.”

Prince Rendrick gave him a solemn salute. “Yes, Sir!” he said. His horse reared as he wheeled it about, and he and his Alchemists galloped away from the municipal house into the city streets, raising the banner of the Crown Prince of Brinland as they went.

Sevei watched the banner fluttering dramatically behind them for a moment, then turned back to see half the Loranarian Alchemists disappear, clearly giving chase. A streak of ethereal energy shot toward Ghed, who countered it with a dismissive wave of his hand, the two lightning bolts clashing violently overhead.

Sevei’s eyes followed back to the ground, where Yeresym stood completely unguarded, hair and cloak whipping about in the gale kicked up by the surge of magic, both hands raised to throw everything he had at the other Alchemist. He had to fight down a sudden urge to run to Yeresym’s side. He needed to check in on Meira and Thelan. Their efforts would do everyone the most good now.

As he started back toward their position, though, the tumultuous clanging of steel along with an uproar of angry and pained voices arose from within the ranks. A Brinnish General rushed past him, shouting, “Traitors!”

Sevei ran after the General to find out what this commotion was when, unexpectedly, a Brinnish soldier raised his sword and brought it down across Sevei’s shield.

Sevei jumped back, momentarily shocked but wondering if the Loranarians had managed to turn Brinland against them after all. His sword arm rose instinctively in defense, but he was suddenly pushed aside as a short burst of ethereal energy struck his attacker in the chest, knocking him out.

A hand grabbed at Sevei to steady him as he stumbled from the push, and he turned to see Yeresym suddenly beside him, turning away to pull the Brinnish General back from attacking one of his own soldiers.

“Try not to kill them!” Yeresym shouted, pointing up at Balan Ghed. “They’re not traitors – he’s controlling them!”