There was a feral glint to his eyes now, a gleam that I was all too familiar withas it was often reflected in my own. Solace may have won this hour, but it would be her last.
“Once they have passed through, we will follow them. Leave the vulnerable in the caves and only bring those who wish to strike back. We’ll meet with Torin’s forces near the river and strike them from Elyria. Permanently.”
Chapter Ninety-Six
Torin
We moved quickly across the open plains of Deucena, a few Earth Mages using their power to speed our travels. The expulsion of power was risky, but necessary to reach Alvor in time. Sweat beaded on the horses’ necks and down our bodies as we rode hard.
No one spoke; there were no rallying cries or declarations. There was simply the whistling of the early spring wind and the stomping of horses’ hooves as they thundered toward our destination to keep us company.
The silence usually kept me focused for the impending battle, but today it only served as a distraction. My mind wandered under the mindless motions of riding, and I couldn’t help but dwell on Ellowyn’s lack of communication and the battle Peytor was fighting.
What would we see when we entered Alvor?
Would our navy still be resisting, bravely standing against the giant? Or will they have toppled, succumbing to the much more aggressive might of Solace’s army?
I grunted in frustration, desperately trying to dislodge the unease that gradually grew in my gut.
With a hand in the air, I slowed our cadence to a trot, allowing the horses a much-needed breather as we approached the hills to the south of the capitol. They’d need their strength, and we’d need our stamina for when we finally breached the city.
“Earth Mages—” I called, intending for them to refuel their magic as we traveled, but the air grew suddenly still and thin, as if Elyria was gasping for a breath,before it was all released at once. The pressure of the gust and the accompanyingboomhad my horse bucking beneath me, whinnying in pain as I desperately held on with my thighs, covering my ears from the noise. I cast my gaze about, noticing every other soldier doing the same.
Some had fallen from spooked horses, trampled beneath the hooves of the mounts behind them. Others held on for dear life, sacrificing the comfort of their ears, which resulted in blood dripping from their inner ears and running down their necks.
What the fuck was that?
Once the pressure abated, the air returning to normal, a dull ringing sounded deep within my skull, blotting out all other noise. I tried to shout, to corral my soldiers, but it was as if I was speaking underwater.
Peytor.
I groaned in agony at the realization. If we felt like this, miles away from the capitol, what happened to Peytor and our navy?
Blown to pieces.
There was no way anyone could survive that blast. No one.
Heart in my throat, I reached for my communication stones with shaky fingers. The ringing was subsiding now, sounds of horses and humans in distress filtering through the fog. I activated the rune for Rohak’s stone first.
It took him seconds to answer.
“What was that?” he rasped, his voice muffled.
“No fucking clue,” I said, but most likely yelled. “You felt it?”
“Yes. It shook the Academy.”
I groaned, hitting the stone against my head as I thought. The blast had scrambled my brain, lighting a headache behind my eyes and deep within my skull.
If Solace came marching through here now, she would decimate us in an instant. My soldiers were in no shape to fight and, judging by the shocked looks on their faces, wouldn’t be for some time.
“Fuck what I said earlier. I need you here. We’re in disarray as it is,” I admitted, heart heavy.
“Already prepared to leave. We’ll set out in the next fifteen minutes. Where are you?”
“Just south of the city.”
“The hills?”
