“I think here we part ways, Lord Norrlen,” he said under his breath.
Rawn stood. “I agree. Return to your family, Elon. Thank you for coming with us as far as you did.”
Elon glanced at him over his shoulder with unreadable amber eyes.
“They’re here,” Zev snarled, immediately alerting them.
Bloodhounds filled the entry to both ends of the alley. The enormous hounds were about seven feet tall, with thick, bulky bodies and ruddy furthat matched the sands of Red Highland. Their sharp teeth dripped down drool as they stalked forward, their short ears twitching. Each one carried an elf rider.
One shouted, “Here—” Rawn’s arrow pierced his gullet.
Elon cast out a bolt of blue lightning, taking out the second rider.
But it was too late.
The charge of horses and cries of their pursuers echoed in the streets.
Both he and Elon chose a hound to take down. They sprinted toward their targets, swords in hand.
Elon dropped and slid on the ground beneath the Bloodhound, the greaves on his knees and shins screeching. He lifted his hand, bracing it with the other, and blue magic shot from his hands, spiraling into a rune filled hexagon. The air ruptured as power blasted outward in a blazing detonation that threw the hound and rider back. Rawn shuddered under the impact, bracing against a wall.
The Bloodhound, now headless, toppled over dead. Elon rose to his feet with ease.
Zev dashed past him and leaped into the air, falling on another hound prowling into the alley. His claws tore out its nape, but the creature was double his size and had a hide too thick. Rawn slid on the ground beneath it, driving his sword into its chest. Blood splattered on the ground as he came out from behind it. Elon flicked the blood off his blade, a hound’s head at his feet. But it was a short victory.
More were coming.
“Flee north,” Rawn told Elon. “Too many are coming from the south. Let us take them.”
A charge of power crackled in the air as blue magic sparked around Elon’s weapon, reflecting the glow in his eyes. A rare hint of a smirk lifted his face as he glanced at him over his shoulder.
“It is you who should flee.” He confidently strode for the oncoming swarm of Red Highland soldiers.
“Surrender in the name of King Altham!”
“I have no king.” Elon broke into a sprint and leaped into the air, breathing one word.“Ogap’maler.”
A surge of electricity sprouted from his hands and wove around his blade in brilliant vines. He fell upon the red elves and hit the ground with a boom. A massive barrage of thunderbolts blasted in a violent wave. The force threw Rawn and Zev backward out of the alley.
He rolled to his feet and ran with Zev beside him. Buildings shook and screams rang out. Magic swarmed through the air with another pull of massive energy. It was Rawn’s only warning before a beam of blue light flared beyond the rooftops and buildings crumbled where they stood.
The Blue Scythe.
Rawn kept running, realizing Elon may not need his help at all.
Growls rumbled from up ahead. Three Bloodhounds were on their tail.
Zev skid to a halt and looked at him with those bright yellow eyes. “Let’s split up. You go left, I take right.”
Rawn shook his head and shot two arrows, taking down a hound. “We stay together.”
Zev cursed under his breath as six more Bloodhounds surrounded them on the street. He kicked off his shoes and peeled off his tunic. “Go, Rawn. Get out of here while you still can. I will find Dyna and meet you in the White Woods.”
“There are too many, Zev. You will die if I leave you to face them alone.”
“Don’t worry about me,” he said, his voice a deep rumble as his wolf began to take over. “If I have learned one thing, when outnumbered by beasts, it won’t go down without a fight.”
Rawn stilled at the implication. Did he mean to call out his beast as well?
