Volos and Ayden stood at the mouth of the cave looking out into the pale pre-dawn sky. It was accented by thick fog. "Just my luck!" Ayden grumbled under his breath.
"The sun will drive away the mist in the higher areas quickly enough. The problem will be seeing our targets waiting in the lower area," Volos stated.
"So much for the power of the sun on our side. The fog will totally shield their eyes."
"Yes, but it won't just shield their eyes from the sun, but from us as well. This may not be a bad omen, but a good one. If they don't see us coming, we still have the element of surprise on our side."
Ayden wasn't convinced. Sure, the sulkas wouldn't be able to see them, but they wouldn't be able to see the sulkas either. "I've gotta go," Ayden said and walked quickly away from the cave.
"Again? You're going to dehydrate," Volos' voice trailed after him. Ayden's nerves seemed to have shrunk his bladder to half its size. He'd had to go every few minutes for the past hour. Maybe it wasn't a bad thing--this way he wouldn't have any humiliating accidents during battle.
Battle. The word had a whole new meaning. Ayden's stomach knotted again as he walked back toward the cave. He'd fought in many battles, but mostly one on one, not seven on one hundred--or hundreds!
Volos had instructed him in his lessons about fighting larger battles. "Don't focus on the opposition as a whole, or you'll become overwhelmed and fail before you even begin. Focus instead on one or two opponents at a time. When they're out of the way, forget them and focus on the next."
Easier said than done. But maybe Volos was right. Maybe the fog would be an advantage.
As Ayden approached the cave entrance, Da'ewyn emerged fully clothed in leather armor. She stretched her arms, legs, and torso, wrinkling her nose and brows. Ayden had never seen the Veela so?covered before. "Where'd that get-up come from?" he asked.
Da'ewyn looked at him, the scowl still etched across her brows. "I've always had it," she stated bluntly.
"Why haven't you ever worn it before? Looks like it's much better for fighting than the skimpy stuff you usually wear."
Looking evilly ruffled, Da'ewyn answered, "Because I never had time to put it on before our other battles. Besides," she said, pulling at the leather tunic that nearly reached her knees, "I feel suffocated in this thing!"
"Well, leave it on," Ayden said, suddenly serious. "I know you're supposed to be protecting me, but I don't want you to die doing it," he said softly.
Da'ewyn stopped pulling at her clothes and looked at Ayden. Her brows lifted and she nodded to him and turned away, but not before Ayden saw the concern dancing in her eyes.
The rest of the group appeared at the doorway of the cave, all bearing weapons and carrying slightly frightened, but very determined, expressions. Volos handed Ayden his sword and the belt that Da'ewyn had given him. "It's time," he said in an extremely sober tone.
Ayden had that "floor dropping out from under your feet" feeling as he took his weapons from Volos and strapped them on. The rest of the companions watched him in solemn silence. Ayden felt like he was donning himself for his own funeral.
When he'd finished, Nya approached with the Sword of Songs. Facing Ayden so that they never broke eye contact, she tenderly placed the sword against Ayden's back, buckling the leather bandoleer at his chest. She paused, placing her hand on his cheek, and then turned to join the others in facing him.
Trying not to show his ever growing sense of panic, Ayden looked firmly into his friends' eyes and spoke, "Whatever happens today, I need all of you to know that I appreciate all you've done to help me on this journey." His mind flashed to Pax, remembering how his friend had helped him on several occasions. He shoved the thoughts away, trying to keep focused. "I would never have made it to this point without you." He held his breath for a moment, fending off the rush of emotion that threatened to take over. The last thing he needed right now was to let his companions see weakness in his face.
Ayden thought of trying to be funny to relieve some of the tension by saying something like, "Let's go peal some spuds!" But he knew it was lame. His jokes never did well, and he was way too nervous to even try.
The morning sun shot through the fog, dissolving the ground-clouds with its heat. Their pathway along the jagged rocks was clearing. Ayden furrowed his brows in determination and said, "Let's get this done."
The companions silently made their way down the jagged rocks, using the silvery stream of fog that lingered in the crevice as a guide. But before they reached the pool that would mark where the sulkas waited, they encountered a patch of their own fog. Volos raised his hand. Everyone stopped and waited for the mist to burn away from the stone.
Ayden's nerves grew tighter and tighter like a rubber band ready to snap. If he'd only been able to concentrate last night and meditate. But he'd found it to be an impossible task. Why can't we just hurry up and get this over with?
Then, as the fog began to dissolve and the rays of the sun warmed his skin, Ayden heard Freya's voice, "Never rush the passing of time. Time speeds away too quickly as it is. Relish each and every moment--even the unsavory ones--for they remind us that we are alive and that we have something to live for!"
Freya! He'd never been happier to have his thoughts interrupted by one of her tiresome lessons. After hearing his grandmother's voice and looking at the group of friends circled around him like a protective ring, he knew exactly what he had to live for--and what he had to fight for.
The fog along the higher areas parted, revealing the black rock that surrounded a pool of mist not a hundred feet ahead of them. It was like an enormous cauldron bubbling and steaming as some giant, invisible witch stirred a deadly concoction. The companions lined the edge of the "cauldron" and waited for Volos' signal. Ayden thought he might hurl as his nerves struck violently at the thought of jumping into nothingness--right into the arms of the enemy.
Volos looked at Ayden and signaled that he would go first. Ayden began to protest; they should go together. But Volos leapt before he could do anything to stop him.
Ayden may as well have been the one falling for the way his stomach lurched as he watched the fog swallow Volos whole. They waited expectantly until they heard Volos give a soft whistle. Ayden leapt into the fog. It was an unnerving sensation, falling into a great, white void and not knowing if or when he would land. But much sooner than he had expected, his feet found earth and he fell to his side. Rolling quickly to a stand, he held his sword in readiness for battle.
Volos stood to his right and Da'ewyn to his left, but beyond that, he couldn't see any of his companions. I don't like this! What if the fog is part of a trap? 'Split them apart and take them down one by one!' Ayden opened his eyes as wide as they would go, as if that would help him see better. He started as he heard a grunt somewhere in whiteness, followed by ominous silence. He and Volos gave each other a knowing look and then carefully stepped forward.
Ayden took several deep breaths and exhaled slowly, attempting to keep calm. It wasn't working. At least a hundred sulkas were hiding in the fog, waiting hungrily to devour him and his friends.
The shroud of mist lifted suddenly like a curtain lifting away from a stage. An axe whizzed through the air as the last bit of fog vanished, cutting so closely to Ayden that it sliced a few hairs from his head. He didn't take time to think about what might've just happened, but yelled as he charged forward with his companions.
Adrenaline pumped through Ayden's blood as he sliced through three or four of the foul creatures with his sword before hitting a road block. Six sulkas, each one carrying a different weapon, came toward him. The one carrying a bow took aim and shot. Instinctively, Ayden tore Phantom from his hip with his free hand and flung it through the air, deflecting the arrow. The weapon barely returned to his hand before he threw it again, this time slicing off the heads of three of his attackers with one blow.
The other sulkas stopped in their tr
acks as Ayden wiped their companions' blood from his weapon against his leg. He continued to maintain eye contact as he sheathed his sword and replaced it with Whisper. The spuds backed away, terrified. They had only taken two steps before Phantom and Whisper found them. Their bodies remained erect for a moment, oozing from the gaping holes where their heads had been seconds before. Then they toppled to join their companions on the ground.
Ayden quickly surveyed the scene; Da'ewyn was stringing two or three arrows at a time and hitting every one of her targets, the gleam in her eyes showing her enjoyment. Occasionally, she had the chance to do some kicking and punching, which seemed to please her.
Volos and Keena were back to back yet again, fighting off a circle of sulkas. Keena had Volos' sword and Ayden could tell she was well practiced in the art of sword play. She expertly relieved two of her adversaries of their weapons before skewering them.
Volos had drawn his daggers. Ayden barely saw his large hands move as he jabbed a spud with such speed and precision that the creature stood stunned for several seconds before falling to the ground.
Sabina's angry scream reached Ayden's ears. He turned and looked as a two sulkas cornered her against the cliff. Ayden was about to assist her when she flung herself into the air, somersaulted, landed behind her adversaries, and proceed to knock their heads together. The creatures teetered before Sabina took the dagger Ayden had given her and mercilessly slit their throats.
A sulka caught Ayden off-guard, attacking form the rear and clinging to him like a live backpack. With one of its spindly arms, it squeezed Ayden's throat and with the other sliced his shoulder with something sharp. It then proceeded to yank at the sword strapped to Ayden's back.
Ayden tensed his neck muscles, attempting to keep the sulka from choking the life out of him. He struggled to break free, but was unsuccessful with every attempt and finally just fell backwards, landing with force atop the creature. The sulka released him and Ayden leapt up and spun around to slice the beast with his weapons. Milky blood splattered on his face and clothes, leaving a horrid, acidic stench.
Ayden joined his companions as they slowly beat down their enemies. Devlin took down several spuds with his knives as Nya stabbed at one with her staff. Her eyes burned white-hot as her weapon burned through one screaming sulka after another. Endia helped to distract other adversaries, giving Nya time to give them her attention.
A couple of hours went by and the fighting wore on. Maybe Sabina didn't know how to count, because it seemed to Ayden that the more sulkas they killed, the more sulkas there were to be killed. Eventually, however, their numbers diminished until only a handful remained. The companions bore down on them, forcing them to flee to the bottle neck.