CHAPTER 20 – KYLE
Branches tore at Kyle’s body as he ripped through the trees. His leg muscles burned. Good thing the Captain ran him good those past few days, he felt strong as hell. And hell had better be strong enough. He’d had that blue hag teleport his amulet back to Angeline, and he was about to join them. They needed all the fight they could get.
Without his amulet, Kyle would be down to his wit and his grit, but something was better than nothing. He might be a 3 for brains, but not when it came to knuckle smarts. Those Elven bastards were about to get enrolled in the School of Kallen.
Kyle burst from the trees, adrenaline riding hard. He didn’t stop as he rammed up the hill toward the Castle. Something shimmering caught his eye. He turned his head skyward as he kept up the climb.
Why the hell was the Castle shining in the moonlight like a pair of glitter-spackled stripper ta-tas? As he drew closer, he placed it. That shimmer was water, heavy, swift streams flooding down the outer brick. The Elves were using that water magic he’d seen Angeline wield.
Dammit.
It was one thing to go mano a mano, but mano a magic-o was a whole heap of trouble. He grimaced and whipped around the base of the Castle. He’d have to sneak in, element of surprise, the only element he had. Well that, and this new all-consuming drive to protect.
He shook his head as he tucked away into the shadows against the wall. That crazy little Captain sure had done a number on him. Angelface had stolen his heart, smashed it, and saved it all in one go. Now he just had to hope that heart would keep on beating, despite the insanity he was plunging himself into.
He laughed softly to himself as he found a foothold. Laughing? Why the hell was he laughing? The nerves had to be taking a toll. Hell, or he’d finally snapped. No time to play shrink though, it was monster crushin’ time.
He snagged a ledge and scrambled up on top of the horse stalls, giving him just the boost he needed to reach the piping that ran up the side of the Castle. The massive muscles in his arms swelled as he began his assent, boots not doing a whole hell of a lot as they rested on the skinny cracks between the bricks. Chest heaving, he climbed upwards, pulling his whole weight up towards the 4th floor windows, to the main hall. His forearms began to shake as he closed in. 10 feet. 7 feet. He gritted his teeth. 4 feet. 1 foot.
He gripped the edge of the window, arms burning with a vengeance… and with flame?! The skin on his knuckles blistered instantly, it took all his mettle to keep holding on. He panted through the pain until he felt the fire halt, the stinging aftermath sinking into his skin. But that pain gave him hope. It meant Angeline got his amulet.
His heart skipped. Or something else was throwing flames.
With one final heave he hoisted himself upward, through the window and landed with a splash in 3 feet of water. The icy cold did little to sooth his charred hands. Fuck how was he supposed to fight like that?
Fight. Right.
He jumped to his feet, mangled fists at the ready. Elves, fucking, everywhere. And Angeline, his red amulet clutched hard in her grip. Her golden eyes went wide as she spotted him.
The massive mother squaring off with her turned too. As did the whole fucking swarm of batfaces.
“At your service, Captain,” Kyle yelled, eyes sharp as he saluted his woman.
Her jaw went slack, her gaze darted once between the amulet and him. What’d she think it was? Dumb luck that she just happened to find a bit of fire?
“You’re welcome,” Kyle said, dropping into a fighter’s stance. “Now why the hell aren’t these scab-bags extra crispy?”
The big bastard in front of Angeline nodded at a fistful of mean looking fuckers. The dozen or so assholes began to circle Kyle, swords raised. Out of the corner of his eye he saw another jet of flames. He blocked it out. He had to focus, if anyone could hold off that leviathan, it was her. Kyle whipped his blades from his armbands and said a quick prayer to whoever the hell might be listening.
The first beast swung. Kyle dodged with a grunt and an idea flickered from the ether, he just needed a half a second. Another flash of silver to his left and he was back in the old tuck-n-roll. Well tuck and slosh. This was going to end pretty damn quick if his idea didn’t work, he couldn’t take that many Elves on his own.
He popped upright and shook the water from his eyes.
“Sure wish I had a Krystal ball,” he yelled, wincing as he took a boot to the thigh, “Wish I had some stats on these fuckheads!”
Kyle leapt back as a sword whistled past his lower abs. Way too close to the dick. He flipped and knocked his elbow against the back of a slimy head. The Elf splashed, tripping another. “Krystal! Now would be a good—”
“Speed:2!”
Kyle jumped back as a thick bat-face lunged toward him. The monster missed, stumbling into the wall.
Kyle laughed and whipped his head toward his savior.
The plump-cheeked little-lady clutched a knife in each fist, mirroring his stance. She jabbed her finger behind him. “Intelligence:1!”
Kyle pulled a feint. The dumb-shit bought right in. Kyle’s blade cemented his bluff, sinking into gray flesh.
“Back, scoundrels of Satan!”
Kyle spun around, Krystal had two big ones coming straight for her.
Shit.
Kyle ducked another blade and plunged toward the kid. A fist slammed against his jaw, a shot of white snapping behind his eyes. He reeled, swiping his blade toward the assailant. The knife found flesh. Kyle knocked the carcass aside and stumbled back towards Krystal.
“I got this, bro!” A blur of baggy clothes and wiry braids whizzed past Kyle, water parted on either side, a cloud of blue magic slicing through the wake. The littlest gangster.
The kid jumped up next to Krystal, a new, blue amulet clutched in his bony hand. “I got you, girl.”
Kyle dodged another blow as he saw the scrawny Mage flick up an illusion around him and Krystal.
“Strength:2!” Krystal shouted, briefly poking her face out of what looked like thin air.
“Thanks!” Kyle grunted, smashing the next taker’s jaw in a wicked uppercut.
One-by-one the remaining cluster fell, sinking in the water, now waist high.
“Kallen,” Angeline called.
Kyle whipped toward Angeline, her chin red with blood, fire dancing on her fists. She looked rough, but the Elf had taken a beating too.
“Get Pallas,” she shouted.
Lance the scrawny Mage manifested. “I got the Master, my Baby.” He ran toward the raised platform.
Kyle saw him jump behind the podium and re-emerge supporting the sickly woman. Okay, he’d leave that one to the kiddo.
“Orders?” Kyle yelled, torn between helping Angeline and taking out the rest of the bastards… or at least distracting them long enough for Angelface to make a move. There was no way he could take them alone.
“Get rid of those Elves,” she screeched, voice cracking. She launched another ball of flame at her opponent. Just missed.
What was she doing? Why was she tiring herself out? One good inferno blast is all it would take, if there was a wizard strong enough to conjure a flame that massive, it was her. Why was she waltzing around with this one Elf when she could level the place?
A strained grunt sputtered out to Kyle’s right. “I got her.”
He shifted his gaze back to the platform, the scrawny kid struggled to hold the Master on his own, rejecting Krystal’s help.
Then it clicked. The kids. Angie was fighting like a Captain, looking out for her people. Going down with the ship and all that jazz. She wouldn’t unleash the hellfire and risk collateral damage. She wouldn’t put anyone else in danger.
Well too fricken bad, they were in danger either way. She knew it too. He could tell, even from across the room, from that glint in those wild hazel eyes. There was a fire burning, just as much inside her as out. One she’d worked so long to contain. She needed to let go. She just needed help.
Kyle kicked up his feet and plunged towards Angeline, and away from the flood-conjuring Elves.