Immortal Swordslinger 3

of us, these guards were our way into the city, and a little politeness would get us further than challenging their surly demeanor.
“Honored gate captain.” I bowed my head to the one who had addressed us. “We are Augmenters from neighboring provinces.”
“Get out of here. Scram. You’re not wanted here, understand?”
Vesma took a step forward, a steely gleam in her eyes. “I demand to see Lord Ganyir.”
“Ganyir?” The guard captain’s laughter was harsh and exaggerated but not as forced as those of the men around him who played along with their leader’s mood. “I thought you guildies would be after Tahlis?” He spat as he said the name. “Neither Ganyir nor Tahlis are friends of Hyng’ohr.” Before we could respond, he snarled. “Get the hells out of my face.”
“We are traveling disciples of the Radiant Dragon Guild,” Vesma implored. “Under imperial law, all cities under the dominion of Emperor Talekon are obliged to open their doors to us and offer hospitality.”
The captain narrowed his eyes as he looked at her. “Listen, girly. We’re a long way from the heartland here. Sure, the Treaty of Blades stands, but sometimes, we have to deal with the rules the way we see fit. And right now, that way is keeping travelers out of our city. Understand?”
He brought his hammer around. Vesma’s hand slid toward her spear.
“We come from a border province too,” Kumi said. “We understand that life can be hard. That’s part of why we’re here, to see how we can help your local guild, as well as to learn from its wisdom.”
“All I see here is a bunch of armed strangers with no respect for our rules,” the captain said. “You said you were looking for Ganyir, right? Well, I suppose killing you three would mean doing Hyng’ohr a service. Ain’t that right, lads?” the captain asked the men behind him.
“Yes, Sir,” his guards replied.
They drew their weapons and advanced on us.
It was a terrible way to start our visit to Hyng’ohr, setting ourselves at odds with the local authorities from day one. But they were breaking the Emperor’s code that safeguarded disciples of the guilds. It was treason. I drew the Sundered Heart Sword and prepared to fight.
Kegohr and I stood firm in the middle of the road, our weapons raised. Vesma stood off to one side, ready to spring in and seize opportunities. Behind us, Kumi chanted and swayed to draw water out of a thin stream that trickled by the road and turn it into a healing, invigorating flow.
I’d expected a cautious, defensive approach from the city guards, but I’d been wrong. They charged straight at us and used their speed to add momentum as they swung their heavy, two-handed weapons. I ducked beneath a blow that would have caved my skull in, stepped back to avoid another, and parried a third. Sparks flew and a judder ran up my arms as the captain’s hammer slammed into my sword with incredible force.
“Ouch,” Nydarth’s voice said in my head, her thoughts flowing straight from the sword into me. “That was quite the hit. Of course, I know that you can do better, my sweet man.”
I took a swing at the captain, but he dodged out of the way with surprising speed. Like the rest of the guards, he was well-built, but that didn’t mean he was some sluggish strongman. He swung his hammer around in a massive overhead stroke, and I leaped back. The hammer’s head smacked into the ground and sent stones and dirt flying.
Vesma was hopping in and out among the guards. She lashed at them with her spear as she passed, but the length of their weapons and the power of their blows kept her from getting in close. Gashes appeared in the guards’ leather armor, and blood trickled from shallow wounds, but they showed no signs of slowing.
Kegohr slammed his skull into a guard and swept the legs out from another with a broad sweep of his mace.
A guard roared as he charged at me, heedless of any danger he was putting himself in. Again, I had to leap away or risk being knocked flat and crushed. As the guard recovered from his strike, I caught him with the tip of the Sundered Heart. Blood sprayed from a gap in the side of his armor, and he howled in pain. A moment later, he turned back to face me and raised his weapon above his head. Another guard charged in and robbed me of the opportunity to finish him. I slid back to avoid having my leg broken by a bronze war club and sent an Untamed Torch after him. The fireball crashed into his leather breastplate and broiled him from the inside out.
“Vesma, Kumi!” I called out. “Can you draw some of them off?”
“I’ll try.” Kumi drew a pair of butterfly knives from sheaths on her back and darted forward to get inside the reach of the guards. She flowed between them like a river as her blades danced in a spiraling motion. A knot of guards took the bait and turned to attack the princess.
Vesma continued her darting attacks as she followed Kumi and moved away from Kegohr. Another pack of guards split off from the main group to chase Vesma down. Her spear ignited in a torrent of fire as dust swirled around her feet.
Kegohr covered me from the front as I called on the power inside me and tapped into my supply of Vigor. At my command, clouds of ash appeared around the divided guards. They began to cough and gasp as the ash flooded their mouths and lungs. They flailed, and their weapons found nothing but empty space.
With half the guards temporarily out of action, Vesma and Kumi rushed to join the main fray. We were still outnumbered, but the odds looked more favorable than they had a moment before.
Kegohr stopped swinging his mace and closed his eyes. There was a flash as the Spirit of the Wildfire ran through