Whoomph.
How long could Shalani hold them off?
Chaya appeared at our carriage window. Dharma reached for her, and they clasped hands for a moment.
“Stay in the carriage,” Chaya said. “The wards are immensely powerful. You’ll be safe until help arrives.”
She kissed Dharma’s hand, then retreated to join the others.
“What help?” Joe asked. “This troop was meant to be the help.Wewere meant to be the help.”
“Not against a horde of revenants,” Bina said. “The Tantrik’s ward activation will have been picked up by the mage tower at the royal barracks. They will dispatch a team. It will be here soon.”
“How soon?” Joe asked. “Because I don’t think that ward is going to last.”
He was right; the green shimmer was weakening, the flare after each pulse less vivid. Shalani was on her knees, staff hilt pressed to the ground as she held the ward.
Our guard had their weapons at the ready. The Asuras with their blazing astra would do some damage. Our drohi had elite blades that could send revenants back to their base camp. We had a chance. We could fight.
“Can only a drohi use an elite blade?” My hand went to the hilt of one of my axes.
“Yes,” Bina said. “Something about frequency and resonance. I don’t know.” She glanced down at my hand and frowned. “You arenotstepping out of this carriage, Leela.”
Crack!
Someone screamed, and the collective screech of the revenants rent the air.
“No!” Dharma gripped the window frame, and we all pressed forward to look out.
The rakshasa roared as they attacked. Ravi, the huge brown beast and his companion with midnight fur, fought side by side, tearing at revenants. Shalani swung her staff, shooting balls of red energy to force the revenants back and give the guard breathing room.
To the left, the drohi pushed forward, slicing the air with their silver blades to turn revenants to ash, and the two Asura deployed golden arrows that burst into flame on contact with the beasts.
“They’re doing it!” Joe said. “The revenants are thinning.”
Wings of hope fluttered in my chest, my breath coming faster as I scanned the field, gaze darting from ally to ally.
We were winning.
Cutting down the threat.
Dharma let out a soft exhale. “Fucking hell. We’re going to make?—”
The carriage rocked as a wave of power hit it, and the next moment, a fresh hoard of revenants appeared on the field, sprinting toward us.
“No!” Bina cried.
“Fuck!”
“The elite will be here soon,” Dharma said, her voice trembling.
A pained roar cut through the sounds of battle, and I searched the field, frantic until I spotted Ravi grappling with a revenant. Another clung to his back, its talons digging into Ravi’s flank.
“Ravi!”
Thanil appeared behind him and ashed the revenant who was clinging to Ravi’s back. Ravi tore out the other revenant’s throat, and Thanil ashed that one too, sending it back to whatever camp it had come from.
The fresh hoard was almost on them. They turned to face it, both bloody and exhausted, and our troop gathered, picking itself up and standing tall, ready to continue the battle.
