“This isnotup for debate.” Angelique said kindly butfirmly.
“I won’t get in the way—I promise,” Oliversaid.
The problem isn’t you, but me. If my war magic slips from mycontrol…
Angelique cleared her throat. “Oliver.”
The stable hand sighed. “Very well. Be careful, Lady Enchantress.” He slid from Pegasus’ back and nimbly landed on the ground, twirling around so he could bow tothem.
“We’ll come pick you up after we stop the trolls.” Angelique raised her hand to wave, but Pegasus was already striding off in a ground-eating trot. Another moment and he shifted into a thunderouscanter.
They ripped past the village, then the Loire soldiers, creating a strong wind and sending snow swirling into the air. Pegasus passed by the trolls, then slowed down and cut to the side so they were planted directly in front of the incomingtrolls.
Angelique clambered off Pegasus’ side, her heart beating a little frantically as she stared down the trolls—that hadn’t slowed and instead seemed to have increased the pace of their rolling, shamblingrun.
She started to pull her magic in as she pondered what sort of attack she coulduse.
Trolls are fairly susceptible to elemental magic, but considering I’m facing more than one, it would be tough to divide my attention and attack and hold them all with elemental spells. I could use an illusion of course, but there’s no guarantee they’ll fall for it. Perhaps it’s time to get a bitcreative…
Angelique took a deep breath. She hadn’t faced many trolls. The only one she could recall was the troll she had botched destroying when she was a new apprentice. And now she was about to face downfiveofthem.
Her magic threaded through her fingers, and Angelique twisted it. She swallowed hard as the trolls galloped toward her, gaping grins twisted on their craggy faces as their eyes dimly lit withexcitement.
Angelique’s spell rested in her hand.I have one shot to get this right, she realized.Or they’ll trampleme.
With that cheerful reminder, Angelique spread her feet wider apart, digging her heelsin.
She gritted her teeth, and the ground trembled as the trolls stomped closer andcloser.
Angelique waited until she couldsmellthem—they always stank of dank and stalled water. They were only a few horse lengths from her before she threw her first spell and scrunched her eyesshut.
Light exploded in the trolls’ faces with a thrum so loud and so deep, it shook Angelique’sbones.
The knock-back of the spell threatened to toss Angelique off her feet, but she was prepared and grimly remainedupright.
The trolls, however, tripped over their feet and clawed at their eyes, the shining light having effectively blindedthem.
Angelique hurriedly twisted her magic into a second spell and threw that one, aswell.
It settled over the trolls in a murky cloud—a war magic spell that acted half like a sedative and half as a dazing spell. It made the trolls dumbly stay seated, blearily blinking and swaying as if they might flop overentirely.
Angelique noticed one of the trolls was only under a corner of the spell, and it seemed to be almost out from under its influence as it angrily eyed Angelique and started to inch towardher.
Angelique’s war magic called to her—a tantalizing song of metallic notes. Vaguely, she was aware of every weapon the Loire soldiers carried on them, but she ground her teeth and shoved her core magicaway.
The fifth troll took a swipe at Angelique, its grimy fingers almost brushing her skirt as she leapedbackwards.
Angelique set her jaw as she poured more power into the spell that kept the other trolls dazed. She kept a wary eye on the fifth troll—which was trying to lumber to its feet—and ripped the ground open beneath the dazed trolls, creating a deep crack in theearth.
The trolls tumbled down, screaming as they fell. Angelique mercilessly slammed the earth back into place, crushing them all in onego.
The last troll roared, and Angelique hastily constructed an ice shield, making it large enough to provide cover for Pegasus aswell.
The troll punched through the wall as if it were glass, and Angelique instantly raised another shield, thickening the original and encompassing the troll’s fist so it was stuck, unable to pull its handfree.
It howled in anger and beat on Angelique’s ice shield, making it crackominously.
“Back up, back up,back up!” Angelique urged Pegasus as she hastilyretreated.
