Then, he caught movement from the edge of his vision, a hint of gold. Kaelen was pushing off the boulder.
Alarik gritted his teeth. “Stay back!”
But Kaelen wouldn’t be Kaelen if he listened to orders. He was already moving, his scimitar in hand. His movements were slower than usual, his body heavy with exhaustion, but true to his Sunborn legacy, his strikes were no less lethal. His blade caught the nearest mercenary in the throat, cutting him down.
Another came at him from the side, thinking he was easy prey. Kaelen pivoted, steel flashing. Blood sprayed across the sand.
Alarik exhaled sharply, focusing. A mercenary lunged for Kaelen’s back. He ran and intercepted, his dagger cutting deep. The man crumpled with a strangled gasp. There was no time to regroup. More pressed in, their strikes fast and relentless.
They weren’t going to win this. Not like this.
Fighting back-to-back, they moved in unison, every motion sharpened by instinct. But for every enemy they cut down, two more seemed to be taking their place.
Alarik risked a glance toward Reiya, making sure she was still safe, still hiding behind the boulder.
But shewasn’t.
She was scanning the battlefield, searching for an opening. Her gaze snapped to the mercenaries’ horses, still tethered together just beyond the fray.
Keeping low, she crawled across the sand, gripping a fallen spear in her hands. She reached the horses just as a mercenary noticed her. He lunged, but she swung the spear like a staff, her movement erratic but she caught him across the temple. The man crumpled.
Alarik’s lips parted slightly in surprise.
She wasn’t done. Yanking the limyerite crystal dagger from her skirt’s pocket, she severed the lead horse’s reins and gave it a hardsmack on the flank. The animal shrieked and reared, its sudden movement startling the others. Hooves thundered as the remaining horses panicked, breaking into a wild, stampeding frenzy.
The ripple of chaos gave Alarik and Kaelen the opening they needed.
He lunged, slashing through another opponent. Kaelen ducked a swing, driving his sword into the next before swaying on his feet. The mercenaries faltered, thrown off by the stampeding horses and the sudden turn of battle.
Alarik’s focus sharpened. He grabbed Kaelen by the arm, hauling him backward toward the ridge. His hand around Kaelen was wet and sticky with blood. His brother had been wounded; they needed to regroup.
But Jodhar wasn’t finished.
With a guttural roar, the mercenary charged again, sword raised high. Alarik turned just in time to meet the blow, steel clashing with a deafening ring. The impact rattled through his arms, driving him back a step. Sand kicked up around their feet as they circled.
“Running?” Jodhar spat, face red with fury. “That’s what I thought.”
Alarik’s jaw clenched. “Never from you.”
Jodhar lunged, striking low this time. Alarik deflected, the edge of the blade grazing his hip. Pain flared, but he pushed through it, pivoting smoothly. His counterstrike came fast—sharp and clean—but Jodhar parried, their blades locking. For a breathless second, they stood inches apart, sweat and grit clinging to their skin, hatred simmering between them.
“You’re slow,” Jodhar sneered. “Must be all that crawling after that Omega.”
Alarik’s eyes flared. He drove forward with a snarl, knocking Jodhar off-balance—but before he could press the advantage, the ground beneath them gave a sudden, subtle shudder.
They both stilled.
Then, the first warhorn blared across the sands—low and thunderous.
Alarik turned. From the ridge beyond the dunes, banners unfurled—green and gold flashing like fire under the sun.
The Asadian royal army had arrived.
Relief surged through him, sharpening his focus instead of dulling it. The mercenaries faltered, their ranks shifting with uncertainty. A second horn blast cut through the lull, followed by the thunderous charge of cavalry.
Jodhar’s sneer vanished. His gaze flicked toward the oncoming soldiers—calculating, yet desperate.
Alarik didn’t give him time to think. He lifted his blade, steady and sure. “Now, we can fight properly. One on one.”
