He was expecting the attack, and yet he let his guard down as he hoped she would listen to him. Lawrence parried the quick strike, with pure magical energy, a massive blow that would have sheared him in half. How it had that much strength behind it, he didn’t know. Again, he suspected the knight’s armor.

The attack had sent him backward where he rolled into a heap. Before he could recover, the next attack was upon him. The knight screamed a battle cry as her blade missed him by a mere hair’s breadth.

He gasped. I’m completely drained of magical energy, he thought. That last parry took everything I had.

Of course, he didn’t allow the knight to know that, maintaining his battle ready posture. “The next time you do that, I vaporize you.”

The woman relaxed her guard. “How, when you have no magic left?”

His eyes widened involuntarily. “How do you know I don’t have any magical energy left?”

“I’m a Knight of the Purging Flame,” she said. “You know that, even if your views of us are decades outdated. Whoever called us… that anyway?” She asked the question with a note of incredulity and scorn, referencing his use of the title Flamma Purigare.

“I’ve been away for a while.”

“It appears so.”

“So aren’t you going to kill me now?”

She chuckled. “Why? You’re more useful to me alive.”

“Not as useful as you might think—“

“Stop!” a voice called. They both turned to regard the woman, the knight more wary than Lawrence.

Is that Sakura?

She was with Tomiichi, helping him walk as he had a hand held up to his forehead where some blood was.

“Stop!” Sakura called again, hurrying Tomiichi along. She was huffing. She left her brother, who slunk down to the ground and came close, nearly between them. “Stop fighting.”

“Stay back, whoever you are!”

For her own protection Lawrence didn’t want Sakura near them when the knight might strike again. With her skills and abilities he doubted she could accidentally kill Sakura, but to be safe he motioned for her to take a back step. She did.

“Listen,” the dancer said, holding up her hands. “Your men are just over the hill. They’re on their way. They’re going to tell you the same thing.”

“Is that so?” Her question came as a demand, her fingers tightened around her sword hilt, blade tip aimed at the sky.

“Yes.”

She sniffed, looked at Lawrence suspiciously. She seemed to be considering the prospect. “Fine.” But to the failed mage she pointed a finger. “Don’t move, or you die, mage.”

He said nothing, didn’t move until the other five knights were with them. “She’s correct,” one of them confirmed. “Lady Noriko’s handmaidens are below the hill. They’re with us, Captain. On our side.”

The Knight Captain narrowed her eyes. “Very well.” She sheathed her sword and walked toward Lawrence. “I nearly cut you in half. My apologies.”

“I had a plan.”

“Indeed.”

“Are you… are you two exchanging quips?” Sakura asked as she looked between them, her mouth parting with incredulity.

“Never,” the knight said. “By the way, my name is Liandra Arduani. I’m the Knight Captain Commander of the Winged Blades from the Order of the Purging Flame, envoy to Emperor Kurosawa.”

“I’m sorry,” Lawrence said. “Wait for a moment while I chew on that for a time.”

Liandra rolled her eyes. “We were at the palace when the attack began. We barely got him out alive.”

“Wait,” Sakura said. “You’re the ambassador?”

“Envoy. What of it, little girl? Wait, weren’t you in the performance evening last?”

“Captain,” Hans interrupted. “We have to go after them.”

“After who?”

“The Princess,” he said.

“Princess Noriko was captured by enemy agents not a few moments ago,” Sakura said. “They retreated in that direction. There was a… hurg.”

Recognition and fury shone on Arduani’s face. “And how do you presume we catch them?” she asked, skepticism clear in her voice as she rested one hand on her sword hilt and the other on her armored hip. She was a tall woman, almost as tall as Lawrence, but with her booted heels, they were of an even height. How she managed trudge through the forest, much less fight in those boots, he didn’t know.

“They weren’t moving fast,” Mika said, coming up to the group. “One of them… the hurg… carried her away. He only had one ally with him. We can catch them! Dija is already tracking them down.

“Dija? The cat eye?” Liandra asked.

“Yes,” Mika said. “She’ll be back soon to tell us where they are.”

“Never could get along with that stubborn woman,” the Knight Captain muttered. “Very well,” she said. “Hans, you’re with me. The rest of you men stay with this group and protect them.” Then to Lawrence she added, “What are you doing?”

He looked at her. “Do you expect me to sit here on my hands?”

“This isn’t your affair,” Liandra said, her voice cold and authoritative.

“It was because of him that we made it this far,” Sakura said, turning from where she nursed her brother. He stood up, seemingly fine. She must have healed him, though the dried blood still on his forehead bellied that fact.

“He also got the princess taken.”

“Actually…” a soft-spoken man said, and Lawrence turned to regard the oni mage as did everyone else. “…had you not interfered here, it is likely that our magician friend would have stopped them… possibly.”

“And you are?” Liandra asked as she practically glared at the oni. “Another blasted mage?”

Lawrence actually saw her posture shift. Not in a threatening way, but not far from it.

“Indeed,” he said, “Of a sort… My name is Hiun.”

The Knight Commander, standing tall in her boots, turned her attention to something one of her men was saying. Then she said, “All right, we’re heading out. If we move now we can catch them in an hour or two, but it’s going to be a hard run.”

Lawrence moved to go with them but stopped when a hand clasped his shoulder. “I can get you there quicker,” Hiun said quietly.

“Why not tell them that?” He gestured to the Knights of the Purging Flame.

“Yes,” Sakura said, walking up and making sure not to be too loud when she sensed Hiun was trying to remain unobtrusive.

“Hmm… I sense our good Knight Commander doesn’t cooperate well with our sort.”

“Our sort?” Lawrence asked. “Magickers you mean?”

“Indeed.”

“I see.”

“So what is your plan?” Sakura asked. “Ro-rensu can’t take that hurg and his accomplice by himself.” She looked at Lawrence. “Can you?”

“I don’t think I can take either of them right now,” Lawrence said. “My magical energy is completely drained. A sack of potatoes would be more useful to you right now.”

“Then why are you going with them?” Sakura asked.

“I have to do something,” he said.

“All right, we’re off!” Liandra called. As per her orders, her knights stayed behind with only Hans following behind her.

At least she’s not contemptuous of others, Lawrence thought. She left most of her knights here to protect the group to her own potential peril.

That was a noble deed he had to recognize. Or perhaps she simply had too much confidence in her own abilities as a warrior? Either way, the group now had some protection other than three men with only two pikes between them.

“Where are the prisoners?” he asked.

“Brendan has them,” one of the knights said, gesturing.

Lawrence nodded, thankful for the help. He turned to Sakura’s brother. “Are you all right, Tomiichi?” he asked as the man walked forward. He was still rubbing at his forehead, apparently trying to get the blood off. Lawrence could tell that Sakura looked quite the worse for wear.

“Yes,” Tomiichi said with a nod.

“And you?” Lawrence asked Sakura. “Daijoubu desuka?”

“Uh… watashi—me? Hai.”

“You look… quite—“

“I’m so tired,” she said. “Before Tomii I had to heal Dija and Hiun.” She glanced toward the other mage, or whatever he was. “How are you, our oni friend?”

“I’m feeling quite myself, actually. Your healing abilities are extraordinary.” He gave Sakura a friendly nod, then changed the subject. “I have some magical stores I can impart to you…”

“You should rest,” Lawrence said, addressing Sakura. He didn’t want her to over exhaust herself.

Could that be dangerous for her?

“Lawrence,” Hiun said. “I can restore your depleted magic, but getting you to where the Princess’ captors are may be somewhat more difficult.”

“What can we do to help?” Sakura asked.

Hiun looked thoughtful. “We can begin by… gathering the necessary materials to perform a rite.”

“Like before?” Tomiichi asked.

“Indeed. Like before.”

He had no idea what that meant, but he assumed “like before” had meant the magic that had been used to move them outside of the palace. “Tell us what we need to gather,” Lawrence said. To Sakura, he added, “And you, sit.”