Everything was falling apart. The brothers were about to be overrun by a pack of cyth if he didn’t do anything. The captives had scattered to the winds, and Verdan was too busy blocking the attacks from the Bayne to do much else.

Verdan couldn’t even use a static shield to block the Bayne’s attacks, the cyth was sending arcing and looping bolts of abyssal energy, requiring Verdan to move and adjust his shield.

Part of him wanted to stop shielding the captives, to let them suffer for abandoning him so easily, especially the two who had thrown the witch to the ground. He knew it was just their fear, though, and he couldn’t blame them for that. Not like he could with the female sorcerer who’d fled immediately.

‘Ha!’ A wordless exclamation came from behind him, Verdan risking a glance back to see the fire sorcerer hurl his spear with enough strength to impale one of the cyth and send it flying backwards. Not pausing, the man charged into the remainder of the pack and delivered a flurry of blows to a second creature, finishing with a right hook to its face.

Verdan was certain that the final punch had been enhanced by magic. It certainly seemed too powerful a hit to not be. Thankfully, the sorcerer used the moment that the cyth was stunned to wrest its spear from it and turn the weapon on its previous owner.

Two cyth stopped their charge to double back and attack the sorcerer, while the remaining two closed to exchange blows with the brothers. Thankfully, both the men had clearly fought monstrous foes before, as they both held firm and met the cyth with weapons raised and ready.

Satisfied that the cyth were being dealt with, Verdan turned his full attention back to the Bayne as he blocked the next series of attacks with his shield. The captives had been running through the trees for long enough now that Verdan felt they were mostly safe from the Bayne’s attacks. He couldn’t be entirely sure, but he was burning through his reserves steadily, and his gathering spiral was nascent as best.

There were two parts to casting spells, the words of power and the visualisation. Words of power drained magic as they were spoken, but in turn, reduced the visualisation requirement as they carried their own concept with them. A two-word spell was stronger than a single word, and a three-word spell was even stronger again, but it had to be the correct three words, with the correct visualisation to make the concepts work. Wizard duels were usually lost due to mental fatigue more than running out of magic.

Verdan had spent the last few years fighting in a civil war that had torn the entirety of civilisation apart. He’d survived battles that had left more powerful wizards dead and buried. It wasn’t a ridiculous capacity for magic or a vast knowledge of words of power. No, he’d survived through stubbornness and knowing when to use powerful spells and when not to. This was one of those moments.

The fog had all but dissipated now, lingering only as a few inches on the ground that added an eerie atmosphere to the battle as whorls of fog followed each spell projectile. This gave Verdan a clear vision of the cyth Bayne as it marshalled the remaining Cyth Lai and started towards him. With each step, it reached out and made a throwing motion, vile abyssal energy coalescing in its claw before streaking out towards Verdan.

The first two strikes shattered against his shield with a faint hissing sound, the other two going straight past him in the direction of the fleeing captives. The Bayne cocked its head in surprise as he stopped intercepting the attacks it sent after them. Confusion played across its face before its eyes widened in horror as he dropped his shield and raised a palm towards them.

‘Grym Thanr Bel!’ Verdan barked each word as clearly as he could, feeling the strain on his magic as each word drained more of his reserves. Mortals were not meant to speak the words of power. Doing so was uncomfortable at best and downright agony at worst. A three-word spell wasn’t the worst he’d ever experienced, but it made his throat feel like he’d swallowed tiny shards of glass.

The last word of power left his lips as a final thrum of energy concentrated in Verdan’s palm, and a small bead of blue flame formed before shooting out toward the Bayne and its minions. The bead swelled as it travelled, becoming an orb that expanded out to around three feet across. The Bayne clapped its hand in front of it with a panicked expression, a thin dome of inky black magic forming in front of it a moment before the orb of fire impacted it.

First, there was the crack of the explosion, then the roar of flames as the ball smashed through the Bayne’s shield and exploded in a huge ball of fire, sweeping out past the cyth to scorch the ground all around them.

A wave of heat and flame rushed toward Verdan as he conjured his shield once more to protect him from the worst of it. A small amount of hot air and flame wrapped around the shield to hit him, but he was at the very edge of the explosion, so it was minimal at best. Verdan would normally want to be further away for an empowered spell like that, but he was having a bad day, and the Bayne had been pissing him off.

The cyth hadn’t faired so well. They had taken the full force of the blast, and only charred corpses remained. The slight protection of its shield meant that the Bayne was only mildly charred but still very dead.

Still, Verdan took a moment to put the reinforced butt of his staff through the head of each of the cyth, just in case. Once burnt, twice shy.

The sounds of fighting from behind him had fallen off as the others defeated the remaining Cyth Lai. Verdan turned in time to see Tim plunging his spear into the chest of the last one standing, driving it up against a tree to hold it still while Tom crushed its skull with a heavy blow.

‘Everyone okay?’ Verdan called out as he took a look around for any more cyth.

‘Yes,’ the fire sorcerer called back as he stalked amongst the corpses, occasionally stabbing down to ensure that the cyth were truly dead. A sensible precaution in Verdan’s eyes, likely the sorcerer was a veteran of some conflict as well.

Neither of the brothers responded at first, making Verdan look back to see them standing guard over the unconscious witch. Neither of them seemed in bad shape, they had a few cuts and swiftly darkening bruises, but that was it. Considering the poor start to their escape, they’d done quite well for themselves.

Everyone else was long gone by this point, which left Verdan with mixed feelings. He was happy not to be responsible for a large group of people, but he felt at fault for not making their rescue smoother and less dangerous. Maybe if he’d attacked the cyth immediately, things would have been different. Sighing heavily, he stopped himself from going too far into what he could have done and walked back to the others.

‘Do any of you know where we are?’ They all gathered together next to the unconscious witch as Verdan posed the question. From the change in the landscape around his resting place, Verdan had a sinking feeling that any places he was familiar with had most likely changed completely.

‘Aye, Lord Sorcerer,’ Tim said hesitantly. Both brothers were around six feet tall with brown hair and eyes, Tim running to a more lithe build while Tom was more muscular by far. ‘We’re south of Hobson’s Point, one of the old enclaves that got hit pretty heavily in the last Rising. We were raised there as kids, so we recognise the area. I can get us there without too much of an issue. We just have to head toward the mountains.’ Tim pointed to a distant white peak above the treeline, its surface marred by multiple giant craters.

‘Damn, so far away,’ the sorcerer cursed, rubbing his face and wincing as he touched a fresh gash across his cheek.

‘Are we close enough to get there for nightfall and find some shelter?’ Verdan asked, glossing over the sorcerer part for now. Too much had changed from his time. He was feeling a little lost and out of his depth.

Verdan knew his spells were out of the ordinary from the looks they were giving him, but he didn’t want to add to that by also showing his ignorance and questioning things. He’d already concluded that something had drastically changed while he had been in stasis, or he’d been locked away for a lot longer than he’d expected. Perhaps both.

‘Yes, if we move quickly,’ Tim said after a pause, his eyes flicking to the witch as he spoke.

‘We’re not leaving her behind,’ Verdan said firmly. He didn’t know how much things might have changed, but witches weren’t their enemies as far as he was concerned. Besides, it would be nice to have another magic user that to hand if she woke up, and at least he knew how witches worked, unlike sorcerers.

‘I’ll carry her. We’ll not fall behind,’ the fire sorcerer spoke up as he stepped forward and gathered her up with ease. His movements had a casual strength that seemed beyond what Verdan expected for him, even with his muscular frame. Just one more thing to add to his list of discrepancies.

‘Okay then, lead the way, Tim,’ Verdan motioned roughly north with his staff. He didn’t want to be out in these woods after dark if creatures like the cyth could have settlements. That thought alone made him want to scream in frustration. There was a city less than a day away. Why did they allow such corruptive filth to establish themselves so nearby?

-**-

The next few hours of travel were somewhat tense, they didn’t know the landscape particularly well, and there was always the fear that there would be something just around the corner. If Verdan could have been certain that they were in a peaceful area, he would have meditated and worked on compressing his magic gathering spiral as they went, but right now, he just couldn’t take the chance.

Thankfully, the fire sorcerer carried the witch without complaint, barely speaking as they trekked on through the thick forest. When they paused for a break after a few hours, Verdan made sure to check on the witch and the corruption she’d absorbed. He should have gotten all of it earlier, but it was worth checking as his visualisation was always poor for healing spells.

‘How is she?’ The sorcerer asked, his gravelly voice tinged with concern.

‘She’s fine. Her body is reacting well and fighting off the effects of the corruption she gained from the bindings they used on her. If we make it by sundown, I will heal her further.’ Verdan wished he had the spare magic to heal her now, but until he had the time to attend to his spiral, he was going to husband what he had left like a miser.

‘Good,’ the sorcerer said with a grunt. Something in his voice made Verdan linger for a second, and after a brief pause, the sorcerer continued. ‘What do you intend to do when we reach Hobson’s Point?’

‘Rest, find somewhere to stay and figure out what’s going on. Anything more than that, I’ll work out when I get there,’ Verdan said with an expansive shrug. He didn’t know enough to be making decisions right now. He needed some natural sleep and a hot meal.

‘I was captured when I tried to defend a farm that was being raided. There were only a few dozen people in danger, but there were many cyth, so the others abandoned me when I tried to help. I owe you for my freedom, and I respect you for caring enough to defend those weaker than you. You are no sorcerer, I do not know what you are, but it does not matter. I offer you my service for a month as your retainer to pay this debt.’

Verdan met the man’s fierce gaze, sensing the determination and passion that was bound within him. He had never liked those that refused to help others, and his oath still bound him to protect and guide the common folk of the Grym Empire, regardless of how much things had changed. The thought that those with the power to fight back were picking and choosing their battles sat poorly with him. He was no crusader. That was a path for fools and heroes, neither of which he aspired to be. That being said, Verdan would also not back down from the darkness if it came calling. ‘Very well, I accept. I require a guide and someone to guard my back.’

‘You will not regret it. My name is Kai, and my sword is yours for as long as our paths are united.’ Kai gave him a short bow before seating himself next to the unconscious witch in a classic meditative pose. The thought made Verdan pause for a second, and he looked at Kai again. Yes, the pose he was in was a traditional meditative pose. A meditative pose was such an odd thing to remain the same when it seemed that everything else had changed.

Verdan was unsure what to think about the fact that he’d acquired a sworn retainer for the next month. On the one hand, it would be incredibly useful, but he didn’t want to get dragged into any political issues. Kai’s statement that he had no idea what Verdan was worried him. No matter how much things had changed, the empire’s wizards should still be known.

Frustrated and hating how little he knew for sure, Verdan went on a patrol of the area. The forest was healthy enough here. No lingering dark taint from the cyth seemed to be corrupting it, a good sign.

The problem was that a settlement like the one they’d just left would indicate a heavy cyth presence in the area. One far greater than those they’d killed. In time, this healthy woodland would become twisted and corrupted beyond recognition.

‘Ready to go?’ Tim called out as Verdan came back in toward them, nudging his brother and getting up as the wizard nodded in reply.

Gathering the meagre possessions they had, the group started off north once more, hoping to reach the enclave by dark.