The Tales of the Wanderer Volume One: A Book of Underrealm (The Underrealm Volumes 4) Garrett Robinson (poetry books to read TXT) 📖

That got a halfhearted laugh from all of them. I stopped and turned, for we had reached our position.

“No, but in all earnestness, the most comforting thing I can say to you is that you do not need any comforting today. For most of you, this is your first battle. And it may be the safest one you will ever see. You have an easy job today: shoot an enemy when they do not know you are there and flee before they can retaliate.” I raised one finger. “But there is something you must remember. You must listen for the moment when I sound the retreat. And you must stay close to me, and to your squadmates, when we pull back. Pay attention to your surroundings, and always keep an ear out for my call. What is far more important than killing the enemy?”

“Staying alive,” they all said in chorus. I had drilled it into them hard enough.

“According to you,” added Jian, after a moment.

Chausiku’s nostrils flared, and his locs shook as he turned on her. “Dark below, Jian—”

“Be calm, you tree trunk,” she told him, pushing her rakish hair off her forehead. “It was a jest.”

I rolled my eyes. “All right. Find a tree to hide behind. And get ready.”

It was I who loosed the first shot.

That makes me sound like the quickest archer on the field. But if I am being honest with you, it is because I forgot that Kun was supposed to give us a signal to attack.

The Shades came marching down the forest road from the east. Their dark forms slid in and out of view between the emerald trunks of the trees, like imps half-glimpsed in the wild. I watched them come, wrapped thick in their cloaks of blue. None were on horses, and they all bent wearily under their packs and bedrolls. They looked to be far more tired than our company, for we had been able to leave most of our equipment and supplies back with the main force.

Near the head of the column was a giant of a woman who gave me pause. It was Tagata, as you might be able to guess, but of course, I had never seen her before. She was massive, towering over the Shades all around her, with muscles thick as anything. She wore no extra clothing against the rainy chill, and her skin glistened with a sheen of sweat in the afternoon air. I swallowed hard.

The first shadeborn I had met was Trisken, who slew Jordel. When I first saw Rogan, I recognized in him the same strength, the same viciousness. I saw it again in this woman now. That meant shooting her would be useless, even if I were to plant an arrow in her eye.

Therefore I chose the closest Shade to me as a target instead. He was a young man, mayhap in his twentieth year. His pale cheeks were rosy with heavy breaths that misted in the cold. He was not wary, nor was he looking about for any sign of attack. He would not even know he was in danger before he was dead.

I sighed and waited for the right moment. But as I said, I forgot about Kun’s signal. Fortunately for me, Kun and I had the same idea of when the right moment was. I must have loosed my arrow at the same instant that Kun fired his flaming brand into the sky. At the same time that my shaft sank into the young man’s neck, and he fell to the ground, gurgling, a searing hiss sounded in the air.

Shouts erupted from the woods all around us as our soldiers saw the signal. Flights of arrows ripped through the air to land among our foes. The Shades recoiled into each other and drew their weapons. But their movements were slow, sluggish, burdened with the weight of leagues behind them.

All but the brute woman. In an instant, her greatsword was in her hand, shining in the thin sunlight through the clouds. She gave a battle cry that shook the trees, and the Shades jumped in response. Suddenly there was vigor in their steps, and they tried to form into ranks.

We loosed another volley—the third, for me. Our hail of arrows struck the blue cloaks, and I watched them fall. We were silent—what use a battle cry when you are almost a span away and drawing no closer? Our only sound was the hissing song of death flying on wings of fletching.

Then Kun led his charge, and the air filled with their roar. A score and a half of Mystics came charging from the trees, and at their flanks were Mag’s squadron and Yue’s spears.

Snow turned red as blood splashed across it. The Shades reeled back. Their allies behind them tried to shove them forwards again. But they only pushed them onto our blades.

I saw Li there. She stood side by side with her fellows, but she was hesitant, the tip of her sword shaking. A Shade lunged at her with a savage roar. Li blocked his strikes, but she did not retaliate. And as she stepped back, her foot slipped in the blood-red snow.

Before the Shade could finish her off, Dibu was there. His sword hacked into the Shades’ raised sword arm. The man screamed, but only for a moment before Dibu stabbed him through the gut.

Another Shade ran up. Dibu traded two blows and then slammed the edge of his shield into her face. She reeled back, nose broken. Dibu’s sword hacked at her neck, nearly severing her head. She flopped to the ground.

With a moment of space to breathe, Dibu turned and hauled Li to her feet. She was still shaking, but she nodded at him. Together they plunged again into the fray, driving the Shades back.

But alone among